


Just a Number

by fratboytomlin



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, M/M, Size Kink, Smut, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-10
Updated: 2013-11-21
Packaged: 2017-12-29 01:16:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 21
Words: 49,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/999141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fratboytomlin/pseuds/fratboytomlin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis may or may not fall in love with his arch enemy's (aka his own brother) best friend, who just so happens to be in college.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. one

Louis walked into his homeroom, sitting down in his assigned seat. The classroom was empty when he entered, since his last class was only a couple doors down. He pulled his book out of his new backpack, flipping to the page that he left off on. Books always enthralled him, taking his imagination to a whole new level. His mum always claimed that the books he read were his source of knowledge, and he couldn't agree more.

The classroom started filling up with teenagers his age that were too rowdy to even handle at this point. It was Friday and it was the last homeroom block of the day, who wouldn't be excited? Plus the fact that it was the first game of the football season didn't help the excitedness pumping through the classroom either.

Zayn Malik walked into the classroom, hearing nothing but chatter about the football game tonight and parties being thrown over the weekend. He clapped his hands together, gretting aquaintances as he made his way to his seat. He spotted his best mate, Louis, sitting at his desk. The small boy was reading, as usual. Zayn sighed, wishing that he'd loosen up for a change and have some fun.

"Tomlinson, you spend way too much time with your nose in a book." Zayn slammed his biology book on the adjacent desk. Louis glanced up from the words he was reading, his eyes widening at the tan boy in front of him. His fingers were holding up the page he was turning, making him look so innocent compared to his best mate.

"Sorry. You know how much I want to get that scholarship." Louis explained, his voice sounding so small and fragile. He always hated when he was penned as a 'nerd' or a 'joykill' because he spent most of his time studying. It wasn't that he didn't like to have fun, it was just that he had wanted this scholarship to his dream university for so long he could almost taste it. One screw-up and he'd have to kiss the whole thing goodbye. Taking chances weren't an option anymore.

A lightbulb went off in Zayn's brain. Louis was always rambling on about some important scholarship and how much he wanted to get into college, right? A smile spread across his face, excited to tell his best mate the brilliant idea he had. He placed his hands across Louis' desk, slowly closing the book he was reading. When he had the boy's angry attention, he said, "How about I take you to a frat party this weekend?"

Louis froze in his seat, his eyes locked with Zayn's. He made that devilish smirk that spread across his lips in the most evil way, which to Louis meant that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He racked his brain for excuses he could use to skip out on the party, but he found none at all. He never got grounded, because he never did anything bad.

He never even left his own home, beside's going to the lad's houses. His mum always nagged him about the lack of social life that he had. Knowing that her son would be going to a party to socialize would make her happy. She'd always told him to be more social like his brother Liam. It couldn't hurt, could it? It would be just one party... Louis thought to himself.

Zayn had this idea for a while, but for other reasons than just making his mate happy. You see, he'd always had a little thing for Louis' older brother. He had found out through some other friend's that Liam's fraternity was hosting a party this weekend, and he couldn't turn down the chance of going. Just imagining his long-term crush at a frat party made him excited to go, whether or not Louis wanted to.

"I'll do it, under one condition though." Louis said, staring at his friend. Zayn's face lost all it's color as the next sentence came out of his mouth, "We have to stay away from my brother. Do you know how awkward that would be? Plus he'd rat me out to my mum, and I can't get in trouble."

Louis was dead serious too. He knew how dissappointed his mum would be if she found out that her son's first social encounter was something as dangerous as a frat party. He was only sixteen years old, it wasn't a good environment for someone so young and so oblivious to the social scene already. He knew he shouldn't jump into something so heavy so quickly, but he couldn't resist the idea of it.

He'd always glamorized that type of lifestyle. The partying and drinking and the drugs and most importantly, the friends. Ever since he was a kid, he'd wanted to be a part of that social group. He had to reconsider though, when he found out his dream college had a strict rule against drugs and alchohol. So now he was just stuck with the same daily routine. Go to school, do homework, sleep.

This would be a great change for him and could open so many more doors and opprotunities. Of course, his brother's college was in fact a party school. When he came home to visit he'd always hear Liam talking in hushed tones on the phone about how much alcohol he consumed or how many girls he laid. He always seemed so proud and confident of those achievements, but Louis always thought they were absolutely ridiculous.

"Alright, Malik. I'm in." Louis said, closing the cover on the book in front of him. The same smile spread across Zayn's face in anticipation, for both seeing his friend happy and also for getting the chance to run into Liam. Even though Louis said that it couldn't happen, Zayn would make sure he'd get Liam, one way or another.

\--

"It's the first party of the year, help me plan it out." Liam Payne said to his two roommates, Niall Horan and Harry Styles. Niall set down the bag of chips he was eating from, as Harry set up posters on his side of the room. Liam rolled his eyes at the amount of tacks that were going to poke holes through the newly painted walls.

"Why do we have to help you? We're just juniors, this is a seniors job." Niall was the type to try and slither his way out a situation so he was left with no responsibility. Liam always nagged at him to at least try and help out around the house sometimes, but he never succeeded. The blonde boy was so stubborn and lazy that no one could get through to him.

"I'll help you, Liam." Harry said, grunting as he pushed the final tack through the wall. His portion of the wall was now completely filled with band posters who the other boys have never heard of. The other two always judged him on his odd music taste, but he really didn't mind. Harry preferred to keep it that way though, because it gave him his own style and personality that no one else could have.

The reason Harry wanted to help Liam so much this year was the fact that he would be leaving next year. Liam would be graduating and Harry would be a senior, meaning that he could be eligible to become the fraternity's president. This had been his main goal from the second he joined the frat house. He'd always been the leader-type, and the idea of running his own house gave him a warm feeling in his stomach. He was destined for this.

"At least someone's helpful around the house." Liam side-eyed Niall as he said this, who just shrugged while shoving a handful of chips down his throat. He crunched the bag, feeling nothing else inside of it. He just simply tossed the empty bag on the ground, kicking it under the bed. The other two boys rolled their eyes at his unclean behavior, he certainly hadn't changed.

Niall had been messy since as long as the other boys could remember. From the first introduction, he was dropping too many swear words or releasing his flatulence at inappropriate times. They were used to it now, but after being away from him for three months took some getting used to again. Liam bent down, picking up the bag. He flicked Niall's snapback over his face, "Clean up your mess, you mumpsimus."

The boy straightened out his hat over his mess of hair, giving the taller boy the evil eye, "The fuck is that?" He asked, not understanding Liam's privileged vocabulary.

"Maybe if you went to class every once in a while, you'd know." Liam said with a wink, exiting the room. Niall looked around for a dictionary, confused.

"Let me save you the time, it's a stubborn person." Harry's voice was monotone as he began taking things out of his box from home. He heard Niall make a slight 'oh' noise at the new information. The springs on the opposite bed filled the silent room, besides the long sigh coming from the other boy. The silence would be awkward if they hadn't known each other so long, but Harry and Niall practically grew up together. They had been planning to come to this university since they were in middle school.

"What' up Liam's ass this year?" Niall said, finally breaking the silence. Things felt different this time around, almost like it was time to stop messing around and to start getting serious. He knew that he only had two years left to decide on something, anything. Niall was one of those people who didn't know what direction they wanted to go in life, at all. He switched his major more than Liam switched girlfriends, and that was quite sad.

"Probably just stressed about being president. You know how he is, everything has to be perfect and if it's not it's a total disaster." Even though it didn't sound like it, Harry was extremely grateful for Liam. He was the one who had taken the two scared freshmen under his wing on their first day. Ever since then they've become best friends, and if it wasn't for him they wouldn't be in this room right now.

Liam was the reason that Harry and Niall joined the fraternity in the first place. Before they met him, they had no idea what direction they wanted to go throughout their college career. The older boy had spotted the two lost freshman during orientation, scrambling around trying to find a seat. He called them over to sit with him and his friends, and the rest was history.

Due to being close with the guys of the frat house, Harry and Niall got in easier than the other pledges. The president at the time, Josh, had cut them an enormous amount of slack when it came to hazing or other peldge-like activities. They were also allowed to spend the night at the house, whilst the other boys were not. They were practically house members already when they were just freshmen.

As Harry dumped the last box out onto his cot, his phone vibrated from inside his pocket. He checked the new messages he had, both from Liam. They were telling him that he needed Harry's help with decorating for the welcome-party that would take place tomorrow night. The party was what Harry looked forward to every year, because it was always the best. People from all over showed up to the fiasco, and Harry loved to imagine that it was all for his house.

Most of the people that came weren't even from the university. High school kids who thought they were cool usually crashed the party, who in Harry's opinion were only coming because, well, it was a frat party. Who wouldn't want to break the rules a little bit and go to a party full of college kids, who of course provided tons of alcohol and illegal drugs?

Harry made his way down the steps, taking them down in full stride. His head was held high, curls bouncing as he greeted everyone he passed. The only guys in the house right now were the ones who's membership was engraved in stone, literally. He loved it when he was surrounded by his brothers, and not puny little pledges who kissed everyone's ass just to get into the house.

He made his way into the dining parlor where Liam informed him that he'd be in. The room still had the same appearance as it did the year before. The walls were painted a vibrant red, making everything else in the room look so bright. The mahogany table was elongated across the room, covered with candles and a lace tablecloth. Liam was sitting at the head of the table with a pen in his hands, jotting down on the pad in front of him.

"Thank God you came down here. I need some inspiration." Liam said, exhaling out heavily. He knew Harry was good with thinking outside the box, but he simply couldn't do it himself. He had always been a straight to the point sort of person, lacking an imagination. He passed the notebook off to Harry, watching his eyes dart across the page as he read the ideas written out.

Most of Liam's ideas were absolutely atrocious. They made no sense, Harry having to read over them several times before he understood what they meant. He put down the notebook nicely and removed himself from the cold chair he was sitting in. He paced back and forth, Liam's eyes burning through him, waiting for a response.

"Why do we need a themed party? I mean, it's short notice and no one will really pay attention to it. Let's just have the regular bash." Harry thought when people planned huge, extravagant themed parties was lame. Plus, it was the first one of the year. They would have to make every party a themed party if they started off with one.

Liam on the other hand, disagreed. All the best parties that he'd been too had been themed. He reminisced about the masquerade ball and the Great Gatsby theme, getting that warm feeling in his stomach again. A lot of his greatest memories were made at the parties where everyone was united in some way.

He'd been dreaming for the last year about what his party was going to be like. Nick, the president the year before, told him at the very beginning of his junior year that he was going to take the reigns on the house. Liam was so excited that he'd be able to give his housemates and whoever else came the same great feelings he had. He didn't understand why Harry didn't see that this was for the best.

"When you become president, you can make the rules." Liam said, snatching the notebook of the table. Harry turned to him, giving him a confused look. If he didn't want help, then why was he so urgent in getting Harry to help him with the planning?

"You asked for my input and I gave it to you. You can't put together an entire theme in one night, Liam. It's too late. Maybe next time." Harry was trying not to get angry with him, because he knew how much pressure he had to be under. Liam was a proper perfectionist, so he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the sake of the house.

"Maybe you're right. Thanks, Harry. I appreciate it." The older boy said, pulling him into a hug. Harry mumbled a 'you're welcome' to him, breaking away from the hug. "Next year you're going to make a great president, remember that." Liam said, giving Harry a wink as he walked off. Chills ran down Harry's spine, in both shock and excitement for the year to come.


	2. two

 

His bedroom was dark, the only thing illuminating the room was the lumineer on the nightstand. Louis flicked his pencil between his fingers against his book in frustration. He was working on one of many assignments he'd been given for the weekend, trying to understand the complicated concepts that were sitting in front of him. If he wanted to go to the party with Zayn this weekend, he'd have to get it all done tonight.

Sunday would be his other option, but Liam was coming home to visit for the day. Louis always disliked the days when his brother came home, because the focus was no longer on him. All he heard about was how great Liam was, between his exceptional grades and his constant thriving for a great social life. But he knew the truth behind Liam's college life, that he wasn't really everything their mother made him out to be. That's what made him the most mad, his mother thinking that his brother was so perfect when it was the complete opposite.

Louis closed his book and threw it at the wall, letting out an aggravated scream. His mother let out a yell from downstairs which was inaudible from his bedroom. He sprawled out on top of his duvet, groaning at the ceiling above him. Taking so many AP classes as a sophomore probably wasn't the best idea, since he was already having trouble with his homework and it was only the first week of school. He did it to show his mother that he was as good, possibly even better than his brother. Obviously that wasn't going to happen, since his grades were sinking faster than the titanic.

A familiar tone sounded the room, making Louis flail in his bed. He fell to the carpet with a thud, his elbow smacking against the ground. Another shout was heard from downstairs, to which he just rolled his eyes at. Didn't his mum know by now that he could not hear her? He rubbed his head, standing up from the carpet. He reached for his phone, checking to see who was calling. The screen flashed a picture of a boy he knew all too well, Liam. He hesitated before tapping the 'accept' button with his finger.

"Hey kid, what's up?" Liam yelled into the phone, loud enough for his little brother's eardrum to almost burst. Louis turned down the volume on his phone. Between Liam's booming voice and the rucus going on in the background, the sound was deafening.  
"Just studying for a test on Monday," He said, retrieving his book from the other side of the room, "How's your last year treatin' ya?" Louis didn't really care how his brother's life was going, at all, but he knew that he should at least sound interested.

Eh, it's been alright. Just stressed about this party I'm throwing tomorrow," He paused, covering the speaker part of the phone, yelling some profanities at the crowd of people talking behind him, "Sorry, they wouldn't shut up. Anyways, I'd invite you but I didn't think that was your kind of thing..." Liam drifted off, and Louis could literally feel him stifling back laughter on the other side of the phone. Heat ran to his face, embarrassed by how his own brother was talking about him.

"Actually, I might go." Louis exclaimed, pride filling his chest. He heard a gasp from the other side of the phone, then silence.

"Oh, really? You want to come to a frat party?" Liam's voice was reaking with the tone that he knew made Louis' blood boil.

"I'll be there with one of my friends tomorrow night. See ya then." He ended the phone call, satisfied with himself. He'd never really stood up for himself like that to his brother before.

 

\--

 

  
Liam stared at the flashing screen. He was baffled by his younger brother's sudden ego boost. The boy had always been the weaker of the two, being socially awkward compared to Liam's natural charm. Worry started rushing through Liam's body, could his brother finally be catching up to him in something? He shook the thoughts from his head, turning his head to the room he thought was empty. He saw Niall standing in the doorway, jumping nearly out of the chair.

"Who was that?" Niall asked, moving towards him slowly. Liam looked down at his phone, shoving it in his back pocket.

"It was just my stupid little brother." He mumbled as the blonde boy took the seat next to him, with a bumfuzzled look on his face.

"Since when do you have a brother?" Liam had forgotten that he'd never mentioned his little brother to his friends, mostly because he tried to keep that aspect of his life out of his new life. His friends didn't have to know what they didn't need to, right?

"Yeah, he's my half brother from when my mum remarried after my dad died." The room got quiet, Niall giving his friend a sympathetic smile and rubbing his back. Liam swatted his hand away. He appreciated the affection, but he hated people seeing him at a weak point. Liam Payne was never sad, he was always his upbeat (or uptight, depends on who was talking) self. He couldn't let anyone break down his walls and see his vulnerability.

"Help Harry set up the stereo system, yeah?" Liam asked, ready to change the subject completely. Niall groaned, throwing his head back.

"Do I have to?" He whined, as Liam gave him a look that could kill. "Fine, you just have to buy me dinner later."

   
\--

   
"Styles! What the fuck are you doing!" Niall yelled, dropping his side of the heavy stereo down to the freshly finished hardwood floor. Harry fumbled with the bottom of the large object, rubbing his now-sweaty hands onto his jeans. "You can't just drop it like that! Liam will absolutely tear our fuckin' heads off!" His face was getting red and blotchy with anger, as he proceeded to kick the stereo. Harry watched the other boy's childish behavior. He'd had a bad temper ever since they were children, and it was one thing Niall never grew out of.

"Calm down, you can be such a tosser sometimes. My hand slipped, sue me." Harry said, throwing his hands up in the air as a surrender. Niall stared at him with his arms crossed, trying to contain himself from punching his best mate. He decided against it, picking up the backside of the wooden stereo again.

"Do you think you can manage this time or will I have to call Liam in here?" Niall threatened, as Harry quickly got back into position in front of the object. They lifted it up, carrying it over to it's designated spot. Just as it was set down, Liam came into the room. He observed what they'd done with the place, quite impressed. Then his eyes landed on the stereo.

"It's crooked." He said, walking over to it. He pushed his thighs against it, until it was completely centered between the large windows. "There. How could you two have not caught that?" He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The tension was building up in the room and Niall had to put a stop to it, even though he'd started most of it.

"Hey Harry, did you know Liam has a brother?" He exclaimed, side-eyeing his target. He watched as the older boy's mouth fell open to stop him, but then he shut it swiftly, knowing the damage was already done.

"No kidding. Why haven't you ever told us about him?" Harry asked, wondering why someone he considered his best friend left out such an important detail about his life. If Harry wasn't an only child, he'd tell everyone about his siblings. Or he assumed he would.

"Long story, wasn't really important." He brushed it off as if it was nothing, but it really was. Sometimes he wished he hadn't pushed his brother into the dark, because that had had an effect on both of their lives. Louis basically grew up with no father figure, having since Liam's father passing away and Louis being the child from their mother's failed marriage. A pang of guilt went through him.

"So, uh, would one of you mind going out to grab some food with me? You know how Niall gets when he's hungry." Liam laughed, joking to make the subject go away.

"I'm out for tonight. It's almost eleven and I want to save my energy up for tomorrow." Harry said, yawning into his hand, "Don't either of you wankers wake me up either." He said, turning away from the other two boys as he exited the room. Niall made sure he was completely out of earshot when he started asking questions again.

"So are you guys close?" Niall started poking at the sore subject again, making Liam's relaxed face turn into a frown. He hated the subject and wished it had never of been brought up, but being rude wouldn't fix anything.

"Eh, we used to be. Not so much anymore." Liam said as he started walking towards the entrance. Niall followed behind him, trying to keep up with his quickness. "When mum and Troy broke up, things just kind of went to hell." He regretted neglecting his little brother for most of his life, but he just reminded him of his stepfather. Definitely not a character Liam wanted to be reminded of on a daily basis.

"Sucks man. Hey, did you ever think of inviting him over some time? Maybe you guys can get the ball rolling." Niall didn't fully understand Liam's logic behind leaving his brother in the dark for so long. Well yeah, he knew there was some kind of disagreement between him and his old stepfather, but that didn't mean he had to completely ignore his own brother.

"Actually, he's coming to the party tomorrow," Liam said, opening the front door, revealing a gust of cold wind coming at his face. He held the door for the blonde boy behind him, as the wind slammed it behind them. "I'll introduce you if you want. Seems like you want to know about him." Liam joked, nudging his mate on the arm.

"You know I'm nosy, that's all." Niall said, catching the keys that Liam had thrown to him. He jogged towards the range rover, hearing the loud beep sound the outdoors as the doors unlocked. "Where are we going anyways?"

"I tricked ya out here. We really need to hit the party store while it's still open." Niall groaned out of hunger, slouching down in the drivers seat. "Relax, you tyke, we'll get something to eat. We just need to get to the party store before it closes." Liam reached for the GPS, punching in the address to the party store.

   
\--

 

"You're no help at all, Zayn." Louis said, talking to the phone in front of him. He saw his friend scowl on the other side of the end, his phone being tipped back and forth as he searched his closet. "I'll just have to come over tomorrow, because I've showed you everything I have. Nothing is right for a party."

"I'll find something for you, sheesh. If we don't we'll go to the mall tomorrow." Zayn straightened out his phone now, looking straight back at the agitated boy on the other end. He was sitting on the floor of his messy closet, messing with a pair of shoes he found on the ground. Zayn wondered why one party meant so much to him, but he decided against asking.

"Sounds like a plan to me. I have nothing to wear. All my clothes are practically the same, besides this sweater vest mum insisted I wear for my birthday last year." Louis laughed, holding up the atrocious piece of clothing. Zayn let out his own hearty laugh from the other side of the phone, plopping down on his bed. The screen was turned sideways, Louis only being able to see his friends' smushed-up face against the matress.

"You okay there, Zayn?" Louis asked, pressing his face up against the phone. He heard Zayn mumble something out, before opening his eyes and gasping at the close-up face in front of him. Louis pulled the phone away from his face, getting serious now. "What do you even do at parties?" He never really knew if things were like they were in movies or that was just for the stereotype of teenagers.

"Depends on the party, I don't know. Can we talk about this later? I'm beat, man." Zayn said, his voice getting the tone it did when he was tired. He was always somewhat of a heavy sleeper, taking any extra time he had to catch some sleep.

"Yeah of course, talk to you tomorrow." Louis said as he tapped the button on his phone, ending the facetime call. He threw his phone across the length of his closet, pulling his knees up to his chest. Exhaling heavily, he lifted himself off the ground, giving his closet one last glance. Pushing open the doors, he jumped at the person standing outside of them.

"What the hell were you doing in there?" His mum asked, giving him a concerened look. He hesitated for a second, rubbing his neck.

"I was facetiming with Zayn." He knew it was way past the time he was supposed to be in bed, and being caught by his mom at night never ended well.

"Go to sleep, Lou. It's one in the morning and I heard you throw something all the way in my room. Just like your father." She said, dramatically making her exit. Louis huffed out the breath he was holding in preparation for a lecture. Stripping off his jeans and t-shirt, he searched the drawers for something wear to bed. He found a pair of sweatpants and slipped them on.

Louis switched off the lumineer that was next to his bed, setting his glasses down on the nightstand next to his bed. Climbing into the bed, he pulled the covers all the way up to his bare chest. He tossed and turned for several hours, worried about the next day. He sang to himself the songs his father sung him as a child until he was finally able to fall asleep.

 


	3. three

The next morning, Louis awoke to someone violently shaking him and calling his name. He tossed over, pulling the pillow over his head. It was ripped from his hands and thrown on the ground. Louis groaned, swatting his hands at the person trying to wake him up.

"Louis get the fuck up. It's sad when I'm up and ready before you." Zayn said, picking the pillow off the ground and slapping the 'sleeping' boy that was before him. Louis flipped over, rubbing his eyes to see the other boy standing in front of him. He wore an angry look on his face, saying, "Holy shit did it take you long enough? Your mum let me in twenty minutes ago but you wouldn't get up. We need to go before the mall gets packed with all the dip shits from school."

Zayn truly disliked the kids who went to his school. They were either always talking about partying and drugs or how messed up they got the night before. It made him feel left out, because none of those things interested him in the slightest.

Louis laid back down, letting out an exasperated sigh. He threw the covers off him, revealing his sweatpants and hard chest. Zayn's eyes widened, turning away from him. "Put some clothes on or warn a brother." He said, covering his eyes. Louis slapped him on the arm playfully.

"Give me like fifteen minutes to get ready or something. I won't take long." Louis said as Zayn groaned, exiting the room. He lingered outside the door for a few seconds, wondering what he could do for fifteen minutes while Louis showered. He surely didn't want to talk to Louis' mum, because every conversation they had always ended with a life lesson that just ended up pissing him off.

A smile spread across his eager face as an idea popped into his head. Walking down the hallway, he peaked through the crack of each entrance way he found, looking for a certain room. The last door on the right was the one he was looking for, Liam's room.

The door was slightly ajar, showing off the inside of the almost-dark room. Zayn peaked inside, making sure no one was inside. He knew no one would be, but safety first, right? In one swift motion, the door was open and he was inside.

He inhaled deeply, taking in the enclosed space around him. The walls were painted a matte navy color, nearly empty besides the tan cork board over the desk. The furniture was a sleek wooden oak, the bed sheets matching the walls. Liam must have taken everything with him when he moved off to college.

The room was clean, as expected. It smelled like air freshener, something lilac, Zayn assumed. He shut the door slowly, careful not to be caught. He made his way over to the bed, resting himself onto the dark blue comforter. It felt like he was sitting on a bed made of feathers. He rested like that for a few minutes, taking in his surroundings.

"Aye Zayn?" He heard his name being called in the distance. He quickly removed himself off the bed, flipping off the light as he exited the room. Louis was standing at the end of the hallway, catching Zayn in the act. He wondered to himself why exactly Zayn was inside his brothers room, but he shook it off.

"You ready to go?" Louis said, flipping his car keys in his hand. Zayn nodded, forcing a smile onto his embarrassed face. He can't believe that he'd been caught creeping in Liam's bedroom. He wondered if Louis thought anything of it. Of course, he did thing it was a little odd that his best mate was exploring the house he'd been in millions of times. This time something felt different, like something had changed.

The two boys rushed down the stairs to the front door. Louis yelled a goodbye to his mother that was in the living room, then opening the door to the outside. It was quite chilly out for a September morning. The leaves on the trees were starting to yellow, falling off ever so gracefully. The grass was crunchy beneath their feet, dying off from the cold air.

Louis unlocked the silver Volkswagen Convertible that was parked on the sidewalk, showing off his new car to Zayn. "You haven't seen it yet, have ya? Mum got it for me just a couple weeks back. Barely lets me use it though." He says, shrugging at the tan boy in front of him. Zayn mumbles out a 'that sucks' as he gets into the passengers side, closing the door with ease.

The drive to the mall isn't a long one, about twenty minutes tops on a bad day. On the way, they talked excitedly about the party. Louis hounded Zayn with questions about what to do there until he was literally at the point to where he wanted to put his head through the window.

Zayn was thanking every God there was when they had finally pulled into the mall parking lot. It didn't seem like a lot of people were here, because it was nine in the morning on a Saturday. Who in their right minds would be out shopping in this hour? That's right: nobody. Just how he liked it.

They entered the mall, the immediate smell of different perfumes and coffee shops hitting their noses. It was a little much for Louis to take in due to his asthma. He coughed into the inside of his elbow, Zayn giving him a sympathetic look. "Let's find a store and get away from all this girly shit. The smell is killing me." He grabbed the coughing Louis by the arm, dragging him to a store nearby.

Zayn had no idea what store he pulled them into, but it seemed quite decent compared to everything else they'd passed on the way there. The store they entered was dark, to which Zayn recognized immediately as Hollister. He thought to himself that this store should be alright for the party. Of course, the store was reeking of perfume, making Louis tug the top of his shirt over his nose.

The boys went through the different sections of the store, looking for clothes at rapid speed. The clothes were either too big or too small on the Louis, because of his indifferent size. He decided too big would look better than too small, he definitely didn't want to look like he was shrink wrapped into his body.

Louis settled on a maroon t-shirt that was way too big on him, draping over his collarbones ever-so-elegantly and a pair of dark wash ripped jeans. Zayn decided on a three quarter sleeve black shirt with dark jeans. His style was always much darker than Louis', but in a sexy mysterious way, rather than a gothic way. Zayn insisted on paying with his credit card, giving Louis a wink as he took the clothes from his hands. Louis always hated when he paid for his stuff, because it made him feel like he was a charity case.

They left the mall after the short time they'd been there. It was starting to fill up with people now, and Zayn was glad they had gotten there as early as they did. "Hey, why don't we grab something to eat? Then you could come over after and play FIFA until we have to go, yeah?" Louis asked as the two made their way back to the car.

"Sounds like a plan." Zayn said, getting inside the car and buckling himself in.They bickered for a while over where to eat, but finally decided on getting takeout and bringing it home. The house was empty when they got back, their footsteps echoing throughout the quiet corridors of the home. Louis set up his gaming system, popping in the familiar disc.

They played for a while, shouting insults at one another. The phone rang, making Louis jump a bit. He groaned, lifting himself from the couch and checking the caller ID. Liam was calling. "It's just Liam," He said, as Zayn's ears perked up. He started to get that excited feeling inside of him, whenever he was mentioned, "I don't want to talk to him." Louis whined, looking back at Zayn.

"I'll answer it if you want." He said, trying not to sound like he was bursting inside.

"Be my guest," Louis said, motioning towards the phone. Zayn nearly fell off the couch, speed-walking to the phone. Louis watched him with his eyebrows furrowed, wondering why he was so anxious to talk to his brother.

"H-hello?" Zayn squeaked out, silently cursing himself for not sounding cooler. He heard loud chatter in the background, and a voice that gave him chills shouting at them to stop.

"Hey, who's this?" Liam asked, sending heat flames up to Zayn's cheeks. He had no idea how to respond, forgetting everything about himself.

"I'm Louis' friend, Zayn. I assume you want to talk to him?" He asked, trying to sound formal. Louis shook his head, moving his hand across his neck in a motion that said, 'don't-you-dare-put-me-on-that-phone.'

"No it's alright, maybe I'd rather much talk to you," Liam growled lowly, making Zayn's heart beat against his rib cage, "So, are you coming to the party with my brother tonight?"

"Uh-yeah." He said, awkwardly. "Only if you want me there." His attempt at being alluring failed, Liam letting out a small chuckle from the other line of the phone.

"Of course I do, see ya then." His body was floating as he hung up the phone, still high off Liam's flirtatious behavior. Louis was baffled by the whole situation, seeing his friend literally melt right in front of him.

"What did he say?" He asked, Zayn come out of his zone.

"He asked if I was coming to the party also." He stuttered out, trying to recollect himself.

"Oh I see. I had already told him I was bringing someone." Louis said, sitting back down on the couch, shrugging his shoulders. Zayn didn't know how to respond, so he stifled out an uncomfortable laugh.

\--

"Are you sure this looks okay on me?" Louis says, turning around several times in front of the mirror. Zayn was laying on his bed, staring at the patterns on his ceiling. He let out an exasperated sigh, giving Louis the same answer he had every other time he asked.

"You look fine, Jesus Lou. Can we just go already?" He said, poking his head up, revealing himself in the mirror. His hair was spread across his forehead in some type of fringe that he'd never tried before. Louis said it looked good on him, even though he didn't do the same thing to himself. Louis had his hair like he always did, his notable Justin Bieber-esque hairstyle.

"I don't know what you're so eager for." Louis rolled his eyes in the mirror, turning towards Zayn. "Let's go, but I have to leave a note for my mum. I'm just going to tell her I'm crashing at your place." He said, flipping through the pages of a heavily used notebook. He tore off the corner of a random page, scribbling something on it in his unreadable handwriting.

"Alright, I'm ready." Louis said, giving himself one last look in the mirror. Zayn was already out in the hallway, waiting for him to emerge from the room. When he finally did, they jogged down the stairs. Louis dropped off the slip of paper on the end table next to the entrance door.

The sky was turning into a haunting dusk, the air heavy with fog. Louis got chills up his spine at the dramatic weather change. They got into the car, quickly switching on the heat system. Zayn rubbed his hands together, cupping them over his nose. "You ready?" Louis asked before putting the key in the ignition.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Zayn said shakily, letting out a nervous laugh. Louis started the car, cranking up the radio. He scoffed at the music playing, since it was all the same repetitive bullshit. "Do you got a CD to pop in?" Zayn asked, covering his ears.

"Glove box." Louis said, as Zayn followed his vague orders. A mix of all different kinds of CDs were resting in the glove box, ready to play. Louis always had a strange music taste, ranging from John Mayer to Tupac Shakur. Zayn thumbed through the albums, before settling on some rap album. He popped it into the slot, music following his actions.

The drive there wasn't that difficult, since he'd heard his mother describe the route here several times. Considering he just got his license, it was a bit difficult to remember every turn and street. Eventually, the arrived to the campus gates. Several cars were making their way into the cars also, more than likely attending the same party.

Louis followed the other cars, until he found his location. The outside of the house was intimidating, music bumping out of the red brick walls. People were stumbling all over the grass on the front lawn, some even sitting on a torn-up couch placed randomly in the grass. All different colored lights were coming from the house, almost blinding the two boys. This was it, the night Louis' life changed, he assured himself.  



	4. four

"Is that him?" Niall said, pointing any guy that passed out to Liam. Liam didn't even give a glance, just an exasperated groan.

"No, Niall, it's not. I'll show you which one he is when he gets here." He said for what felt like the millionth time tonight. "Just look for a short kid with brown hair, with a tan guy." That was the best way he could describe the two, because it had been a while since he's seen them.

"You mean like them over there?" Liam's eyes followed Niall's arm, pointing towards two boys. One of the them in a baggy, but not too baggy, maroon shirt and jeans that were destroyed. He recognized him as Louis, his brother. The other boy was in all black, raven hair sweeping across his forehead. His smile could make someone's heart melt. Liam remembered him as Zayn, but he had grown up so much since the last time they saw each other.

"Finally, you're right." He said, removing his arms from the balcony. They were standing at the area above the stairs, observing the party from a bird's eye view. "I'll introduce ya, let's go." Liam motioned towards the stairs, and Niall followed behind him like a puppy.

Liam approached the familiar boy, taking him in. He looked taller since the last time he saw him, and his hair was much longer. His brother always sported a short, spiky kind of style. Seeing his shiny hair swept across the forehead was weird now. Tapping on his shoulder, his younger brother turned around. Louis' lips rose up in a half-genuine smile, falling into his brother's hug.

The embrace between himself and his brother was awkward, so Louis pulled himself away. Liam let out an 'Oh!', forgetting to introduce everybody. "This is Niall," He said, pointing to the blonde boy next to him. Zayn thought he looked like a total douche bag in his snap back and tank top, but dismissed it. He was always bad at judging people before he met them. "Niall, this is my brother, Louis-" He held his hand out to the smiling boy in front of him, then pointed to the other one, "And this is his friend, Zayn."

Zayn could of sworn that he saw Liam wink at him when he said his name. He shook his head, replaying the scene in his head over and over again. Maybe he was just seeing something that he hoped was there. The blonde boy introduced himself, talking to the two boys about something. Louis laughed along with them, but Zayn held his gaze towards Liam. The boy was being approached by several people, handing him drinks or slapping him playfully on the arm. His smile could light up the entire room honestly. Then he turned back towards Zayn, sending hot flames up to his face.

"Hey, wanna come with me to get something to drink?" Liam asked, cocking his eyebrow as he spoke. Zayn melted into his own emotions, feeling like he was floating on a cloud. He nodded along, following the boy. The beat of the music pulsed through his veins, making him unable to clear his head. Liam guided Zayn to a table, full of drinks and refreshments. Liam went to grab a bottle of something out of the cooler, before Zayn stopped him.

"I'm only sixteen." He squeaked out. Liam looked off the side, laughing.

"It's okay, kid, it's just one drink. It's not gonna hurt you," Zayn watched as he popped the cap off, steam from the cool drink being released into the air. He hesitated before taking the bottle, but then snatched it from Liam's hand. He looked at it for a few seconds, feeling the sweat from the bottle against his hand. "Let me see you take your first drink."

Zayn's hand shook as he brought the tip of the bottle to his lips, wrapping them around it. He tipped his head back, taking in the foul taste. It made him want to throw up, but he wanted so desperately to impress Liam. Liam stood there with his arms crossed, a devilish grin spreading across his face. He knew the tan boy wasn't enjoying it at all, but he was putty in his hands. But who wasn't a putty in Liam's hands?

"How did you like it?" Liam asked, trying to sound unknowing. Zayn felt like he was going to be sick, because he did take a pretty huge swig from the bottle.

"It was...great!" Zayn said, cursing himself in his brain for making himself sound stupid. Liam just gave him a smile, before running his hand along Zayn's arm, leaning into him.

"How about you dance with me, yeah?" He asked in his ear, sending chills up Zayn's spine. Without saying anything, Zayn nodded, following Liam.

Liam did like Zayn, but he knew it was only temporary. Plus, any attempt to get him away from Louis for the night would have to do. He could tell by the way Zayn looked at him that there was obviously a crush there, and Liam felt guilty for taking advantage of that. He'd played this game way too many times with way too many people, so it was almost routine now.

\--

"So you're Liam's brother, huh?" Niall asked, watched Zayn walk off with Liam. He felt bad for letting him walk off with the younger boy, because he knew exactly what was going to go down. At least he didn't have to worry about that with Louis, because there wouldn't be any incest going on, or he hoped. "How's that treatin' ya?" Niall laughed.

"Oh it's a trip." Louis stifled out a laugh, careful of what he'd say. He didn't know if he could trust this Irish lad completely. He never knew what to think of Liam's friends, because they could either be really nice or sly like him.

"You can say something bad about him if you want, I don't care. I'll probably agree with you." Niall said, feeling like he could talk to the boy in front of him. He was less intimidating than his brother, and seemed like a genuine person.

"I don't really know him that well honestly. He's just really private about stuff, you know what I mean?" Louis said, not revealing too much. He had no doubt in his mind that Niall knew so much more about his brother than he did himself.

  
"I guess you don't know him then." Niall said, raising his eyebrows towards Louis. "Hey, wanna go somewhere else, I think we're blocking the way." He grabbed Louis by the arm, moving him away from the crowd of people trying to get through.

  
"Yeah, there's way too many people over here." Louis said, his claustraphobia starting to kick in. He started to ease into the party more than before, feeling his insides relax. This wasn't so bad.

  
Niall looked around while we led Louis throw dancing people, looking for somewhere they could stand. He thought of the balcony, glancing up the see Harry leaning up against the railing. He had his usual American flag bandanna tied around his mess of curls, and dressed in all black. "Hey, let's go up there." Niall said, pointing out the location to Louis. He nodded along, following the older boy up the stairs.  
At the top of the stairs, Louis got a sideways view of a boy resting his hands on the railing. He gasped at the sight, because he'd never seen someone so gorgeous. The boy has messy curls that were held down by a bandanna that looked like it was made from an old shirt. His black shirt was baggy, and his jeans were tighter than leggings. He had on these awful brown boots that somehow went well with him.  
"Hazza!" Niall yelled, raising his arm up, waiting for a response from the other boy. He looked up, his face immediately lighting up when he saw Niall. He smacked his large hand against his, revealing tattoos that were inked under his left arm. The lanky boy looked over at Louis, his face softening from the large grin.

"Who's this?" He asked Niall, not removing his stare from the younger boy. Louis crossed his arms, feeling extremely insecure in the eyes of someone so beautiful.

"Oh! Right! This is Louis." He said, giving him a wink. Louis was grateful that he left out the part about being Liam's younger brother, because he definitely didn't want to be compared to him.

"Nice to meet you." Hazza, Louis assumed was his name, said, holding out his hand to be shook. Louis grabbed it firmly, feeling his small hand fit into his. Electric jolts ran through Louis' body, and he wondered if the older boy felt them too. "I'm Harry."

Louis smiled at the sound of the boys name, taking in his gravelly deep voice. Louis wanted to say something, anything, but words weren't properly formulating in his brain. All he heard was the sound of his heart in his ears, somewhat struck by the lovely boy in front of him.

"Let's go do something, yeah? It's the first party of the year, we should be enjoying it!" Niall said. Louis noticed that he seemed like a very excitable person, his sentences always raising in volume as they went on.  
"C'mon, Louis. Let's go have some fun." Harry said, smiling at the younger boy.

\--

Zayn was feeling out of his body, since he'd downed a couple-okay, seven, drinks since he'd been with Liam. Things were brighter than before, the music muffling in his ears. He felt lighter on his feet, like he could conquer anything. Well everything except for the spell that was Liam Payne. The boy had him so wrapped around his finger at this point, it was unstoppable.

They were dancing closer than before, Liam's hot breath lingering on Zayn's ear. Zayn's body started to freeze up from the intimate motion, numbing his entire body.

Liam wanted to give Zayn just enough to tease him, but not to completely give him anything. This is what he always did, he gave people some of what they wanted, and then ditched them. He thought it was funny how girls and boys would call his cell phone several times, thinking that they actually meant something.

It was a douche bag move, but it was college. Things weren't supposed to be taken seriously anyways. But Liam felt something different-somewhat deeper for Zayn. Like there could actually be some feelings there.

So Liam slowed down a bit, trying not to scare the boy off. Zayn, on the other hand, was loving ever second of it. Euphoria and drunkenness was taking over him body, making him unable to even think straight. He'd never felt this way before.

Liam looked around the party, scoping out the people who were surrounding him. Most of them were familiar faces, from class or other parties. He spotted a few new people, freshmen more than likely. The pledge's were crowded around the alcohol, chugging down whatever they could find. Everyone else was either dancing in the center of the foyer, or they were who knows where. Liam hoped they didn't venture around the place, considering some of the events that happened last year.

That incident almost jeopardized Liam's position as president. Nick was so pissed off at him, he almost impeached him from the house. Let's just say that Liam didn't monitor who was entering and leaving the house-or what exactly they had with them. The place was trashed by time that particular party had ended, and they were out almost a thousand dollars in cash. It had taken a lot of community service to make up for it, Liam recalled, shuddering at the memories.

He turned his attention back to Zayn, who was holding his now-empty bottle of alcohol in his hands. Liam tried to remember how many he'd downed, was it seven or eight? Maybe nine? He couldn't even remember how many he had himself, let alone had he bothered to pay attention to the other boy.

"Zayn, man, I gotta go check on some stuff. I'll find someone to watch over you while I go, okay?" He assured the boy, not even sure if he understood what he was saying. Zayn mumbled something out, with a stupid-looking smile on his face. Liam walked away, hesitating at first. He quickly scanned for Niall or Harry, not seeing them in sight. He huffed out and forgot about Zayn completely as he checked behind closed doors, looking for any suspicious activity.

Zayn was still dancing along with some random people he had never met before, but acted like he knew them his whole life. They were all faceless to him, fuzzy through his vision. He waited for Liam to come back, but it seemed like forever before he did. Zayn felt betrayed as he waited for the boy to come back, but never did.

\--

The backyard was absolutely packed with people. The party out here seemed more fun than the one inside. Paper lights were strung across the back of the house, giving the yard a lovely glow. The grass was damp with dew from the rain this morning, or maybe it was pool water, who knows.

Niall had brought Louis and Harry out here, because the party inside was way too crazy right now. The little party that was thrown outside was always the best, and usually only consisted of people who knew about the backyard.

The two older boys recognized their housemates out here, giving them little hand signals and hellos. Louis didn't know anyone out here, so he was introduced to them. He was silently thanking Niall in his head for not mentioning to anyone that he was Liam's brother. Niall knew how Liam was and if they knew this kid was his brother, they'd hate him automatically when in reality he wasn't that bad.

Louis was starting to warm up to the people here, making more acquaintances as he went along. People seemed to like him, and they thought he was quite funny too. He'd always used jokes as a mechanism to make friends, since everybody loved to laugh.

Harry had fallen into the boys charm, hard. He thought the boy was witty and enthralling as he reeled everyone around him into him. Louis reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.  
But Harry's developing crush was a problem, since he was almost five years older than the boy. He hoped silently in his head that it would fade away, just being a small, temporary burst of feelings. The way that he felt already, though, indicated that he'd feel this way for a long time.

Every time he caught the boy's gaze, he felt like he could melt into him. Like he wanted for him to look at him that way forever, to stop time. He wondered if Louis felt the same way, every time they caught eyes or bumped into each other.

Truth is, Louis did. He was trying to steer clear of Harry, because he was way older and he knew he was friends with Liam. It was just so hard, because the older boy kept trying to get his attention in any way he could. They even exchanged numbers at some point throughout their journey outside.

Niall could see that his friend was taking an interest in him. Harry was never really the type to like anyone, and when he did, he always ended up falling hard. He'd only had a couple proper relationships throughout his whole life, even though he was in his early twenties. No one really interested him enough that he wanted to call them his own.

The three of them stayed outside for a while, just enjoying the cool September air under the stars. Niall excused himself to go get a pint, leaving the two other boys alone in the grass. Well, not technically alone, but it felt like it. With the party going on, it was all background noise to the two wonder struck boys.

They stayed silent, but it wasn't an awkward kind of quiet. They listened to the party going on around them, every so often pointing out people who were piss drunk or making a fool of themselves. Louis joked around, making the curly-headed boy laugh. Whenever he saw the effect that he had on Harry, his chest welled up, making his smile unbearable.

Niall came back, interrupting the little love fest that was going on between them. He was dragging Zayn by his arm, who looked so intoxicated it wasn't even funny anymore. His eyes were half-open, sinking into his head. Every few seconds, he'd let out a laugh that followed the gibberish he was talking.

"Aye Lou, I think we got a problem 'ere." Niall said, trying to hold the boy upright. Louis let out a gasp, moving up towards his friend.

"The hell happened to him?" Louis asked, grabbing his other arm, "Zayn, buddy, you okay?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry. I just found him with some people and he was trashed." Niall said, sympathetically, "I'd take him home if I were you."

"Yeah, I was planning on it." Louis said, taking the dainty boy into his own grasp, "Thanks a lot, Niall. And it was lovely meeting you two." He was struggling to hold Zayn by himself, since he was much smaller than his friend.

"Let me help you, yeah?" Harry asked, removing himself from the grass. Louis was grateful for someones help, especially Harry's.

"That'd be great, thank you." Louis said, partially handing Zayn off to the taller boy. They tried to move through the plethora of people, before Harry yelled at them to get out of the way in an angry voice. Liam saw Harry and Louis walk off with Zayn, guilt running through his body. He felt bad for leaving him to fend for himself, but he couldn't own up to it now.

Getting to the car was difficult, because Zayn started to thrash around in their arms. Neither boy knew how to handle it, so they just put up with the sudden movements.

"It's the car over there," Louis said, moving towards the small silver car. Harry admired the car in the dark, feeling like it represented Louis well. They made their way over, opening the door and carefully placing Zayn in the backseat.

"Thank you so much, you were lots of help." Louis said, letting out the breath that he's been trying to catch.

"Anytime," Harry said, his eyes twinkling in the light of the dark moon, "If you never need anything, give me a call, alright?" He asked, giving the younger boy a smile.

Louis didn't know how else to respond, except with a sincere smile.  



	5. five

Instead of going back to Zayn's house like originally planned, they stayed the night at Louis'. By time they were on the road for five minutes, the boy in the backseat was sound asleep. Louis didn't blame him, because he did get pretty fucked up. He wished that he hadn't left him alone with his brother.

Louis knew he shouldn't of left Zayn with Liam. He didn't mean for things to go so far to the point to where he completely ditched him, but he'd gotten so caught up in Niall and Harry-Harry mostly-that he'd forgotten his best friend was even there.

If he brought Zayn back to his own house, his mother would rip him a new asshole. She absolutely dispised the thought of her own children getting drunk, due to bad experiences with her father. So if Zayn wandered in piss-drunk, she'd throw a fit. Louis' mum wasn't home for the night, so taking his friend in wasn't such a bad idea for the night.

After he nustled Zayn up in his bed, he took a pillow and blanket, making himself room on the floor. Zayn slept like a baby, but Louis couldn't sleep at all. It was the next morning he had to worry about, since Liam was coming home. He wondered how he was going to get Zayn out of the house in time, how he was going to keep the party a secret from his mum, how he was going to deal with Liam's snarky remarks for an entire day...

And most of all, Harry kept him up. The thought of the boy with the forest green eyes who sparkled while looking into his and the dimple that was deeper than a crater in the moon. His plump red lips that were slightly cracked, probably from the sudden chill in the air. Louis' heart fluttered when he thought about his voice, his cute little laugh, everything. He was so desperate and anxious to give the boy a call.

Little did he know, the other boy was thinking about him too. Harry wanted to say something to his friend's about the small crush that was developing, but he was afraid of what they'd think. Niall knew he was bisexual because well, he was his best friend. But Liam had no idea. Harry always pegged Liam as the type of guy to be homophobic, so he never mentioned it at all.

Louis eventually lulled himself to sleep, humming the tune to his favorite songs. The next morning was rough, because he woke up to the sound of the front door slamming and his mother calling for him. He rushed to get Zayn up, letting him escape out of the window. Zayn had a major hangover and didn't feel up for leaving, but Louis reminded him that his house was only a couple streets down. He sighed, giving in, and eventually made him way out of the second story window.

By time his mum got into his room, Louis was peacefully sitting on his bed, flipping through the channels on the telly. "Morning." He said in an innocent voice as he got up from his bed, kissing her on the cheek.

"Clean this room." Was the only response he got, which was quite cold compared to his mother's usually cheerful self that came out when Liam was coming home. When she left the room, he exhaled loudly, glad he hadn't been caught.

He spent the next twenty minutes or so tidying up the room that was ina havoc. Clothes, pillows, and blankets littered the room from the night before. Louis threw the last article of clothing into the hamper as he heard a light ding coming from his bed. He searched threw the ruffled sheets, still warm from Zayn sleeping there. He found the phone under the pillow, reading the notification on the screen. It was a text from Harry.

Louis' heart was thumping against his ribcage as his thumb swiped across the screen, revealing the message in front of him. He was so focused on whether or not the boy would text him, than what he would actually do if he did. His eyes skimmed over the black words written over the blue message bubble, savoring every word slowly.  
  
 _Did you get home alright? -H x_  
 _Louis smiled down at his phone, his fingers typing back a response quickly._  
 _Yeah, things are alright. Thanks :)_  
 _The reply was almost instant._  
 _Is your friend okay? He seemed petty messed when you left :( -H_  
 _He's fine now, just a bit of a hangover. Thanks for asking x_  
 _Anytime, later x -H_

  
Louis locked his phone, not knowing if he should respond or not. He let out the huge amount of air that was stuck in his chest, begging to come out. He read over the messages, smiling to himself. He liked that Harry was thinking about him-well, somewhat-too. Setting down his phone carefully, he walked over to his dresser, picking out something nice to wear to lunch with his family.

His shower was cut short by the sound of a doorbell and his mother calling his name. He groaned, shutting off the water and getting out. A knock was heard from his door, and a deep voice spit out, "The reservations are in ten minutes, get your ass downstairs." Before he even had the chance to reply, Liam was gone.

Drying his hair wasn't an easy task, since it was so thick. A beanie would be his only option, even though he wanted to look nice. Louis sighed, finding something else less dressy to wear, since he had no time to do his hair. He settled on a band t-shirt he found at the back of his closet and a pair of his favorite jeans. He went to walk out the door, but was suddenly stopped by it swinging back into his face. His nose throbbed from the sudden impact of the wooden door meeting his face.

"Shit, Lou. Sorry," Liam said, looking slightly sympathetic, "I was just coming up to get you. Mum's pissed, so stay on her good side." He said cockily before turning back towards the stairs. Louis groaned, rubbing his nose. He followed Liam down the stairs, trying to keep up with his brother's fast pace.

Their mum was angry at the boy's for taking so long, keeping silent until Liam started talking about his college life. The whole drive was uncomfortable for Louis, listening to his brother's many accomplisments and to the sound of his mother's praise. He rolled his eyes at how he talked about how great his classes were, and how he tried not to party too hard. Flames were running through Louis' veins as he listened to Liam's lies.

If it wasn't for Liam, Zayn wouldn't be completely fucked up today. He was absolutely certain that Liam had something to do with Zayn getting wasted, because he'd never drank anything in his life. Louis wanted to say something so badly, but he knew he'd get in tons of trouble. His mum had no clue about the party, and he'd like to keep it that way.

"Yeah, there was this one kid there last night who got piss drunk," Liam said, glancing his eyes to the backseat. Louis' ears perked up, his stomach dropping, "It was quite sad, he was only like sixteen. But what's a kid like that doing at a frat party anyways?" He said, almost completely turned towards Louis now.

Their mum agreed, but Louis couldn't even hear what she was saying. He was too focused on the smug look Liam had on his face. Wasn't he the one who invited Zayn in the first place? And also the one that put him in that awful state? Louis balled up his fists, his jaw setting. Liam gave him a wink before turning his attention back to his mother sitting to the right of him.  
  
The lunch they had together was pretty much the same as the car ride: Liam dropping several hints, making Louis more angry with each word. At one point, he got so fed up with his brother that he excused himself to the bathroom, violently cursing him under his breath on the way there. He splashed water on his face, looking at himself in the mirror.

Bags were under his eyes from the lack of sleep, due to thoughts of Harry and the worry for his best mate. His face was red with anger, his eyes watering. Louis looked away from the sight, pulling his beanie lower over his head. He gave himself a minute to let out a cry, then fixed his appearance again and left the bathroom, feeling much better about himself.

Before he knew it, they were all back at the suburban home. They visited for a while, sitting in the living room on the ugly floral couches Louis always hated. Louis still kept his place as the quiet one, his ears being filled with the fabricated stories. His brother was out of the house by dinnertime, claiming he had some stuff to work on back at the house.

Their mum cried like she always did when Liam retuned back to his college life. She coddled the tall boy in her dainty arms, kissing both of his cheeks. Louis have his brother a civilized hug, but was haunted by the words he whispered into his ears.

"Don't ever come back into my life again." And just like that, he was off again. The chilling words didn't leave Louis' mind for the rest of the evening.

\--

Zayn was feeling so many emotions at once, he couldn't even comprehend what they were. After Louis threw him out of his house, he walked slowly back to his home, his head pounding with every step he took. To make matters worse, he saw Liam on the way in. The boy he had such deep admiration for just gave him an evil smirk as he entered the door of his own home.

He mentally slapped himself for actually believing that someone like Liam Payne would fall for someone as plain as himself. He was so inferior compared to the miraculous boy. Zayn never pulled A's in his classes or had tons of girlfriends. And he sure as hell wasn't drop dead gorgeous or charming like him.

So now he was laying here on his bed, letting the tears roll down his face and stain the pillow beneath him. His headache was even worse now, considering that he actually had time to mull over the events of the night before. He felt as if his heart was physically broken, just sitting heavily in his chest.

His phone was constantly vibrating against the palm of his hands, where he repeatedly checked the caller on the other line. It was a concerned Louis, who kept calling and texting, not seeming to give up anytime soon. Zayn sighed, sliding his finger across the screen, pressing the phone up to his ear.

"'Ello?" He asked, his voice sounding more bruised and battered than be wanted it too.

"You okay mate?" Louis' voice was reading of sincerity. Zayn smiled at his friends concern, glad that he wanted to talk to him.

"Doing better. Just feeling the embarrassment settling in." He said, letting out a little chuckle. Louis did the breath-laugh he always did when he didn't find something funny, but pretended he did.

"Just checking on ya, I'll talk to you later okay?" Louis said, and Zayn agreed. They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Zayn was so glad that Louis wasn't anything like his brother.


	6. six

Harry would be lying if he said that the younger boy wasn't on his mind a lot. It made him feel weird since Louis was so much younger than him, but he couldn't help think about him. From his adorable and brightening personality to his boyishly good looks, Harry was hung up on him. He wanted to text him so badly but didn't know what to say or to do. He felt like a foolish middle school girl with a crush.

His foot was tapping repeatedly on the cold, cement floor of the lecture room. The teacher at the front of the class droned on about information that was pertinent to Harry. At this moment nothing else mattered but that sixteen year old he met at the party Saturday night. It's only been two days, but it's felt like ages to him.

Finally giving in, Harry slithered his phone out of his pocket. He made sure the sound was off before unlocking it and going into his messages. He had a few texts from Liam and Niall that he didn't really care to check. He tapped the button in the upper right hand corner, typing in Louis' name. He scrolled through different people he had logged onto his phone, until he found the boy's number.

His heart was beating as he tapped on it, typing a simple, 'Heyy :)' to him. Harry's mind was racing, anxious for his phone to go off again. He'd never been so obsessive over someone he just met and barely knew. Coming back to reality, the guy sitting next to him shook him on the shoulder, raising an eyebrow in question. Harry nodded, signaling he was fine, picking up his pencil, writing what was on the board.

The phone in his lap vibrated, giving off a slight ding. His face reddened from embarrassment, pushing down on the phone's home button. The text message icon popped up, beside it was Louis' name, and a message that read, _'Heyyyy ;)_ '. Harry stared at the wink-face longer than he should of, trying to figure out what he was getting at. The message he was looking at was replaced with another one, ' _*:) ahaha sorry man x_ '.

Laughter was heard from Harry throughout the quiet lecture, making several students within his radius turn towards him. He mouthed a 'sorry' to them while picking up his phone, responding to the message with a smile, ' _it's fineee. what's up?? :)_ '. They texted back and forth for a while, until Louis stopped replying out of the blue. They talked about the party and Zayn's health, and plans to see each other soon. Harry's heart was fluttering with each one of Louis' cute messages.

When the professor dismissed the class, Harry whipped out his phone once again, sighing at the empty screen. He walked across the sidewalk back to the frat house, fall leaves falling all around him. The breeze was blowing his curls around in the wind, chilling his bare arms. It was almost three o'clock, so Louis should be getting out of school soon, he thought. He smiled at the fact that the boy was always on his mind now, regardless of what he was doing.

The frat house smelled like autumn leaves and cinnamon, Harry noticed. Liam must of been in a great mood since he came back from his mum's house. He was always like this after a visit, because he was a total mummy's boy. She showered him with love and attention. Harry wondered if she did the same to her other son, who he never got to meet yet. If he was at the party, Liam surely would of introduced them.

It was a really weird relationship between the two, Harry thought. Who would completely exclude their sibling from their life? If he had a sibling, he was sure that he'd spend a good amount of time with them. He sighed, trudging up the stairs of the empty house. He swung the door of his bedroom open to see Niall laying on his bed, his laptop on his stomach. The door hit the wall as Niall jumped off the bed, letting out a wrangled noise.

"Shit, Harry. Scared the fuck out of me." Niall closed his laptop, shutting off whatever he was doing on there from the rest of the world. Honestly, Harry didn't even want to know.

"Sorry mate." He said, tossing his books onto the floor, making a popping noise as they hit the floor. He wanted to talk to Niall about the whole thing with Louis, but he didn't know how he'd take it. Then he remembered that Niall has been his best friend forever and wouldn't think this was weird, would he? "Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

Niall's eyes widened, and he sat up on his bed, crossing his legs. "Anything." He reached across the bed, searching under the bed for something. A plate of bacon revealed itself from under the bed as Niall pulled it out, putting a finger over his lips. Harry laughed, rubbing his hands together from being nervous.

"I have a crush on someone." He stated blankly, grabbing his pillow from the head of his bed.

"Do I know her?" Niall asked, assuming it was a girl.

"Um...actually it's not-it's a guy." Harry stuttered out, averting his eyes back and forth around the room. He heard a noise escape Niall's mouth, but he didn't say anything at first. Harry's body heated up, sweat prickling his skin as he waited for a response.

"I wasn't expecting that, but okay. Do I know him? Oh my God it's not Liam is it?" Harry let out a chuckle, shaking his head no, "Is it...me?" Niall asked, his voice raising a couple octaves at the end of the sentence. Harry through his pillow across the room, hitting him in the face.

"No it's not you, you dolt. And it's definitely not Liam." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Then who is it?" Niall said, his brain scanning people that Harry was close to and who it could possibly be. He couldn't come up with one good person for him, honestly.

"It's..." Harry hesitated, worried about what Niall would say. Niall leaned forward, his mouth opening slightly, "Louis." He finally said, sending the other boy into shock.

"Harry, he's like sixteen." Niall stated, watching his friend collapse onto his bed.

"I know, Niall. That's the problem." Harry let out an exasperated sigh, "I feel so different about him though, like you don't even know. I've only known him for two days and I'm already in so deep."

"What would Liam say?" Niall asked, assuming Harry knew that they were brothers.

"What does Liam have to do with this? Who gives a fuck what he thinks?" Harry says, obviously still ignorant to the fact that Louis was Liam's younger brother.

"I guess you right. If you really like him that much, go for it? I don't know man, I don't play the dating game if you know what I mean." Niall said, waggling his eyebrows. Harry rolled his eyes at his childish behavior, wishing he still had his pillow to throw at him. "Have you talked to him since the party?"

"Yeah, we've texted a couple times, but he never responded to my last message." Harry said, sticking out his phone with a frown on his face.

"Well, if-or when he does, ask him out." Niall said, stuffing bacon into his mouth as he spoke.

"I can't just ask him out! I don't even know his middle name yet." Harry said, confused by Niall's suggestion to date him so quickly.

"Not like that, you muppet. I mean like take him out on a date or something." Niall cleared up, as Harry's mouth formed into an 'o' shape, realizing what he meant.

"Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks." Harry said, his phone tone going off as soon as he said this. He dived for the phone sitting across the bed, reading the message. ' _sorry i didn't reply, the teacher took my phone aha!_ '

Harry felt guilty for getting him in trouble, but he didn't really care now. The boy was all his to talk to for the rest of the night, ' _sorry mate, i didn't mean to get ya in trouble :(_ '

Louis replied, telling Harry it was all good, then he went in for the kill, ' _hey do you wanna do something today? there's a really good coffee shop on campus...(:_ '

\--

Louis heart was beating in his chest as he read the message in front of him. He did have a huge crush on Harry, and he hoped that this meant the same. His freezing hands were shaking as he typed his response, a goofy smile spread upon his face.

He was walking home from school when he got the message, checking his phone to see if his teacher had messed with it while it was in his possession. It was the first time he'd ever gotten his phone taken up, or had gotten in trouble for anything really. Inside he didn't even feel that bad, because it was all for Harry.

When he got home, he yelled up to his mother who was somewhere in the house, telling her he was going out with a friend. He escaped before she could interrogate him about his day at school or who this friend was. He made his way to his car, backing out of the driveway before she could see.

The drive wasn't long, since he knew the campus by memory. Even though Harry gave him directions, he still had no idea where the coffeehouse was. He drove around for a couple minutes, before spotting the quaint little brick building with a coffee sign out front. He parked his car in the tiny lot, walking along in the cold breeze.

The bell dinged as he pushed the door open, having it be shut by the cold autumn wind. He looked for the familiar head of brown curls, standing on his tip-toes to see over the crowd of people. He spotted him, sitting in the corner by the window. He stood up, waving the boy over. Louis instantly melted in his gaze, feeling like jello as he walked over to the space where Harry was.

"Oops," Louis said, tripping over his own feet. He flashed red with embarrassment, but the older boy didn't seem to mind.

"Hi," Harry said, breathlessly. He held his arms out for a hug, and Louis fell into him, wrapping his small arms around his waist. Harry motioned his hands towards the counter, and Louis followed behind, silently cursing his clumsiness.

They got up to the counter, reading off the options from the menu. Louis went to pull out his wallet, but Harry rest his hand over his, "I've got it." He said with a wink, making the younger boy smile sheepishly into his shoulder.

The two went back to their seats with their steaming cups of coffee, joking with each other about the bartender. She was obviously new, and she had made tons of mistakes on their order. Louis blew on his coffee, sending the steam away from his face. He was astonished at how Harry had fearlessly taken a drink of the burning drink right away.

"So, tell me about you." Harry said with a genuine smile, his eyelashes batting at Louis. He didn't even do it on purpose, he was just naturally flirty.

Louis went blank, as he usually did around people he fancied. But there was never anyone he liked as much as he did Harry.

"Well, what do you want to know?" Was the non-lamest thing he could come up with as he thought about what he'd say.

"Tell me about anything. What you like, what you don't like, your family..." Harry said, tapping his chin as he thought, "Tell me about your family first."

Louis froze in his seat. He didn't know if Harry knew about Liam or not. If he did, then he certainly would of mentioned it by now, right?

"I live with my mum, since my father left." He shrugged at his boring home life, sipping his caramel coffee as Harry just looked at him in sympathy.

"I'm so sorry..." Harry trailed on, his heart breaking.

"It's fine, I'm used to it by now. What about you?" Louis asked. Harry didn't completely know what he meant by that first sentence, but decided to ignore it.

"I'm an only child, lived with my parents. Boring single-kid life." Harry laughed, taking a drink from his coffee and feeling it burn down his throat.

"I guess we're kind of in the same boat here." Louis let out a stifled laugh, trying to ease the tension. No matter what he did, he couldn't get his older brother out of the back of his mind.

Louis and Harry talked for about two hours, until Louis dismissed himself to go home. He had tons of homework, even though it was only Monday. Harry sent the boy off with another hug, feeling the sparks run through his skin every time they touched. He watched as Louis drove off, giving him a wave as he went.

Harry walked back to the frat house, which was now full with people. The second he got in the door, before he could even kick off his boots, Niall was running up to him, hounding him with questions about the date. Harry tried to quieten him before their frat brothers heard, but it was too late. The other boys had heard, and were asking him crude questions about the 'girl' he'd supposedly gone out with.

Worst of all, Liam overheard, making his way into the foyer. The other boys immediately moved back, making way for their president. "So, who is she?" Liam said in a genuine tone. Harry didn't really want to tell Liam that is was, in fact, a boy, because he didn't know how he'd take it.

"It's not important, okay." Harry said, trying to make his way out of the tight space.

"Woah there, Styles. That smile on your face says way different." Liam said, an evil look flashing through his eyes, long enough for Harry to catch. The other boys made 'oooh' noises, trying to build up the tension. Harry rolled his eyes, pushing Liam out of the way and going up the long stairs. Niall followed close behind, catching the door that Harry was slamming.

"Hey mate, it's okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get all those tossers riled up back there." Niall apologized, even though it wasn't necessary.

"Niall it's not your fault. It's Liam." Harry said, staring at the cracked door, making sure no one was out there.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. So how was it?" Niall asked, getting eager again. Harry smiled, recounting the events that happened just minutes earlier.

"It was amazing, I think something could really be happening here." Harry said with the biggest smile he'd had for a long time.


	7. seven

"So I heard you got in trouble yesterday." Zayn says as he throws his backpack across the table he and Louis share in homeroom. It's Tuesday morning, and Louis is incredibly tired. His lack of sleep from the past few nights was definitley taking a toll on him. Classes dragged on and were more boring than ever, even putting him to sleep at some points. The usual school-loving Louis wasn't present anymore.

"Yeah, I got my phone taken up." Louis smirked, sitting up from the hand he was resting on. He had literally just woken up twenty minutes before, and he was already falling asleep again. Louis rubbed the sleep out his eyes, turning back to Zayn who was sitting next to him. He looked absolutely shocked, and he was.

"You got in trouble for having your phone out? No kidding." He let out a laugh, sitting back and crossing his arms. Zayn was astonished that his usual goody-two-shoes best friend was starting to act out, even if it was something as small as getting a phone taken up by a teacher. "Who were you talking to anyways?" He asked, curious why it wasn't him. He didn't it in a bad way, but he knew Louis didn't have many friends besides him.

Louis immediately started blushing like crazy, remembering that he hadn't told Zayn anything yet. Zayn silently guessed that it was someone he liked, since his best friend's face was as red as an oven. "Looks like you got a little crush, Lou." He said, making the other boy smile at the ground. "Do I know him?" Zayn whispered this, not wanting anyone else to overhear.

"I don't think so..." Louis said, trying to remember if he'd ever met Harry. Then he recalled that he'd spent his entire night with Liam instead of him. In the back of his mind, he remembered when Harry had helped Zayn into to car when he was totally messed up. "Wait, do you remember the guy who carried you into my car the night of the party?"

"You mean the bloke in the bandanna?" Zayn said, furrowing his eyebrows together. That night was a blur to him, even now, but certain details stuck out in his mind. He remembered the vile taste of alcohol, how Liam's breath felt on his neck and the look he gave him as he was taken out of the house.

He shook the memories from his head as he snapped back into reality, seeing an extremely red Louis in front of him, fumbling with his hands. He felt a smile spread across his face, because he'd never seen his best mate so nervous about someone before. "It's him, isn't it?" Zayn said, watching Louis fall apart on the outside. He nodded his head smiling to himself, "Isn't he a little old for you?"

"It's only four or five years, there's been worse." Louis snapped back, taking Zayn by surprise.

"You're getting snippy, you've got it bad." He teased, nudging Louis on the arm. Louis groaned, hitting Zayn playfully on the arm.

"Shut up, tosser." Louis laughed with only half a wit, strongly disliking when Zayn was right.

"So have you kissed yet?" Zayn asked, pretending to act like a teenage girl who was way too invested in her own teenage dreams, "Do you get lost in his eyes and forget your name?" He said, putting his head in his chins and batting his eyelashes. Louis slapped him, laughing at Zayn's foolishness.

"I shouldn't of told you anything, I'm never going to live this down." Louis said, sighing, looking away from Zayn. He could feel his phone vibrate inside of his pocket, but just smirked at the feeling.  
"Why do you look like you have to pass gas?" Zayn asked, making Louis choke on his own spit. "Are you thinking about bandanna boy?" He waggled his eyebrows while saying this, making Louis groan.

"Actually, I just got a text from him." Louis said smugly, not even completely sure it was Harry. It was just the fact that he could rub it in Zayn's face was all that mattered.

"Does he seem like he's interested?" Zayn said, worried for his best friend. After that party, he learned what frat boys were like. He surely didn't want the thing that happened with Liam to happen to his best friend also.

"Well, we may or may not have gone out yesterday..." Louis said sheepishly as Zayn gave him a shocked look. He was completely taken by suprise at the fact that things seemed to be working out for Louis. Maybe he was just judging everyone by what Liam was like.

"Did anything happen?" Zayn asked curiously.

"No, except I lied about my family..." Louis admitted, the happy look on his face was replaced with guilt.

"What do you mean?" The tan boy asked, cocking his head to the right in confusion.

"Well, I told him that I was an only child, like that Liam wasn't my brother." Louis confessed, making Zayn laugh in his head. If Liam was his brother, he wouldn't want to tell people either. He wanted to say something so bad, but didn't want to explain the whole thing to Louis.

"I get what you mean, you don't want to be compared to him." He responded after some time of silence. Louis nodded, not saying anything back. In perfect timing, the bell rang, dismissing the boys from their homeroom. Louis pulled his phone out his back pocket, reading the message that appeared on the screen.

He sighed, looking at the twitter notification that had popped up. Feeling let down that it wasn't Harry, Louis moped into the classroom of his next course.

\--

By time the day was over, Harry had finally decided to send a text to Louis. He didn't want to get the boy in trouble again, so he'd been avoiding the gesture all day. And honestly, it was killing him on the inside. All he wanted was to talk to the younger boy, to find out more about him. Louis was a closed book and Harry wanted to read every single page.

When the clock on his phone hit three, he unlocked it, tapping down hard on the messages app. Liam walked into the room, seeing Harry swiftly typing away on his phone. "Anxious to talk to someone, aye?" He announced, making Harry jump.

"Shit Liam, you scared me." He said, clasping his heart over his chest. Liam rolled his eyes, making his way over to his bed and flopping down on it, letting out a long sigh. "Rough day?" Harry asked, taking his attention away from the keyboard.

"Oh yeah. Don't take all your classes AP as a senior. Trust me." Liam groaned, sitting up on his bed, "I have three essays, all due tomorrow. I didn't even procrastinate, they were assigned today." He complained, muffling his screams into his pillow.

"Why would I take all my classes as AP? I can't even get into Pre-AP." Harry joked, reading the message on his vibrating phone.

Liam sat up, squinting his eyes at the curly-headed boy. "Harry, if you're going to be president you're going to have to stop messing around. This year should be the year that you stop having so much fun, and focus on your school work. You can't become president if..." Harry zoned out, staring blankly at Liam when in reality he was just thinking about Louis Tomlinson. When his lips stopped moving, he snapped back into reality.

"Oh I agree, thanks Liam. You've been a huge help." Harry said with a fake smile on his face, grabbing his phone as he exited the room. Once the door was closed behind him, he let out a groan and rolled his eyes. He'd heard that speech from Liam a time too many. At the end of sophomore year, he was given the same exact lecture about how he needed to 'step up' or he'd be an 'unfit president'.

It was all bullshit to him. In his opinion, Liam wasn't the greatest president they'd ever had. He was way too controlling and concerned about everything, and that wasn't what a frat house was supposed to be like. It was college: you were supposed to have fun and find yourself, not be bossed around by someone who has no other authority over you except a title.

He took the stairs two steps at a time, searching the foyer for anyone he could talk to, preferably Niall. The house was pretty much empty, except for the pledges. They were all painting the family room a new color, since apparently it wasn't the exact shade Liam ordered. Harry held his nose as he walked through the paint fumes, not wanting to have an asthma attack on the spot.

Harry gave the freshmen a wave with his free hand as he walked through, and they all stopped their chatter to give him a greeting. He laughed to himself, knowing that they were probably talking shit about Liam. Little did they know that next year they wouldn't have to deal with the tyrannical ruler of the fraternity that was Liam, they'd have Harry.

Passing the working pledges, he walked into the dining hall, see it completely set up. He had completely forgotten, tonight was the big dinner. No wonder Liam was so stressed, they had to have an initiation ceremony for the pledge's first week in the house. Plus, on top of this fiasco, he had three essays due. Harry felt a flash of guilt rush through him, wanting to help his mentor.

He walked back through the family room, the pledge's not noticing him this time. He slipped through quietly back to his room upstairs, opening the door quickly, making Liam jump.

"Hey Liam, do you need some help with anything? I know you've got a lot on your plate right now." Harry said genuinely, feeling in a better mood than usual. Liam smiled widely.

"Wow, Harry. I can already see you changing. If you could help me get together some information for this essay, it would be great." Liam said, pushing a sheet of paper towards Harry. He read over the prompt several times before he could actually understand what he was supposed to do. Harry walked over to his bed, pulling his laptop from under his bed and turning it on.

Tapping his phone against his chin, he pulled up a word document and his web browser. He read over the prompt for the last time, exhaling out and crossing his eyes into his nose, a habit he'd had for as long as he could remember. He was just trying to be nice, and he got himself a lengthy assignment.

An hour and a half and three pages of notes later, Harry e-mailed the documents containing the notes to Liam. He was thankful for the help, giving Harry a hug and asking for one last favor, to round all the fraternity members and the pledge's together into the dining hall. Harry jogged down the stairs, yelling out to the boys and helping them to their assigned seats. After they were all seated, the head of the table was missing. Excusing himself, Harry went upstairs to get Liam from their room.

Upon opening the door, he found Liam passed out on his bed. Harry's heartbeat quickened in his chest as he approached the sleeping boy. His bed was covered with endless amounts of papers and his laptop sitting in front of him. Harry noticed Liam's fingers were curled around something. After moving papers out of the way, he found a pill bottle resting in his hands.

Harry's heart was in his throat, fear tying itself into knots in his stomach. He felt dizzy as he read the bottle's prescription. He was relieved when he read that the pills were only for sleeping, but he was still worried. The way Liam was resting was just...unnatural. Not knowing what to do, he poked the boy's cheek, seeing him flinch. Harry's fear had left him body, seeing that he was alright.

He moved the books from Liam's bed, placing the notes neatly on top of them. Harry placed the laptop on the floor, closing it slightly. Then he moved Liam into a more comfortable position, careful not to wake him. Even though Liam had to be downstairs in-well, now-Harry thought he should let him rest for a while.

He trailed down the stairs, anxious to what would happen in the dining hall. Of course, he'd seen the initiation twice already, but he couldn't remember it by heart. Then again, Liam practically recited the speech in his sleep, so it couldn't be that hard. Harry remembered the day he had his ceremony, and that amazing feeling he had in his stomach as he was passed the candle during dinner. It made him feel warm inside that he could do this twice: this year and next.

With shaking knees, Harry entered the dining parlor to be greeted by several familiar faces staring back at him. His stride was proud as he walked past the smiling, eager boys. When he reached his seat, he stopped for a second, then passed it on. He heard a few gasps as he took his spot at the head of the table with a smug look on his face.

Niall leaned across the table and whispered, "Payne's gonna kick your ass."

"Actually, Payne is out cold." Harry said out of the corner of his mouth, putting a finger over his lips. Niall gave him a confused look, but Harry ignored it.

After they ate, Harry stood from his seat, raising his hands towards the pledges. They removed themselves from their seats, their faces as white as ghosts. With a shaky voice, Harry began the initiation process, "Let us have order..."

\--

Louis was laying on his bed, repeatedly checking his phone to see if Harry had responded yet. It had been a couple hours since they'd spoken, and Louis was starting to get worried. The conversation they were having was great, and he hoped he hadn't said the wrong thing in any way. They were talking about Harry's major, which he found that he had changed it many times over the years. He found out that Harry didn't even know what he wanted to do yet in life, and that worried Louis, who had planned out his whole life at the age of five.

He was going to graduate high school with straight A's and be crowned as Valedictorian, then he'd go off to a great University and get a degree, then he'd go off to Law school and get his degree there. But now, he wasn't so sure. He'd basically set his whole life out on one horizon, and never gave a thought to anything else. He'd penned himself many times as, Louis Tomlinson: Future Lawyer. Of course Louis had thought about back up plans before, but he never thought he'd need one. This year wasn't getting off to a great start so far, and that worried him.

Getting up from his bed, he walked into his closet and looked for the black case that he hadn't seen in a long time. It was shoved in the back corner, a layer of dust forming on the top. Blowing it off, he unzipped the case, seeing his beauty on the inside. Louis pulled out the guitar, holding it in his hands. It felt like a part of him had been restored as he held his greatest, but forgotten treasure.

Excitedly making his way back to his bed, Louis started strumming the guitar. After spending so much time in the closet, the wires had stiffened from the cold, enclosed space. It was good as new by time he'd spent a couple minutes trying to get it back how he wanted it.

A smile danced across his lips as he played the first song that came to mind, one of his favorites. Every chord came easily to him as he sang along to the strums of his guitar, music filling the room. Then it came to him, maybe music could be his backup plan.

He shook the thought from his head the second he thought of it, knowing he wasn't good enough to possibly ever have a singing career.

The vibration of his phone against the bed startled him, but in a good way. He set down the guitar on the floor, seeing that he had an incoming call from Harry. Louis cleared his throat before answering.

"Hey!" He said, sounding way more excited than he should have.

"Hey, guess what I just did?" Harry said, his voice sounding like it was about to burst through the phone. Louis stayed quiet, waiting for a response.

"I just initiated the pledges into the house!"

"That's great!" Louis congratulated him, "But I thought that was L-the president's job?" Thankfully he saved himself before he outed that he knew Liam.

"Yeah, it was Liam's job, but he was so caught up with work and stuff." Harry said, stifling out a laugh.

"Oh I see, that sucks. Well it's still great you got to do it!" Louis said, being happy for him.

"I know, thanks. Hey, sorry to cut this short but I have tons of work to do. I'll talk to you soon, okay?" Harry promised. They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.

Louis flopped back onto his bed with his guitar, singing a whole new song now.


	8. eight

The room was dark by time Liam woke up, filled with only snores coming from the Irish lad sleeping in the bed on the other side of the room. The slightest bit of light was peaking from behind the curtains that were above Liam's bed, starting him. An empty pit was sitting in his stomach, like something ominous had happened while he passed out. He felt around his body and his bed, looking for something, anything, to make him feel whole.

Finally, his hand landed on the rectangular lump under the blankets, which was his phone. Yawning into his free hand, he checked the time on the clock. It read that it was almost 5:00 AM. Horror came over Liam's face as he remembered all the stuff he had to do within the next three hours.

He jumped out of bed, his feet landing hard on the cold floor beneath him. Lunging for his laptop, he turned it on, tapping his fingers on the bottom of it. Getting restless, he set the laptop down and went through the stacks of papers that were on top of his school books. They were completely filled out, and stapled essays were lying underneath him.

Liam switched on the lamp next to his bed, trying to get a better look at the work in front of him. Either he had finished them and didn't remember it at all, or someone had done it for him. As he was flipping through the pages, skimming the essay, he saw a little yellow post-it note stuck on one of the pages.

Upon reading it, he discovered that it was Harry who'd finished his essays for him. In the tiny note, he told Liam that he knew he was under a tremendous amount of stress and needed some helping out. It also explained that he filled in for him at the initiation, and everything ran smoothly.

Liam let out a well-deserved sigh of relief, setting the papers down on the floor. He sat in complete silence for a couple seconds, still getting off his high from the sleeping pills. It had been a nasty habit that he'd tried to kick several times, but the need for them always came back. Ever since he started his high school years, he'd started taking pills to help him sleep, or sometimes to even help him stay awake.

Tonight he must of grabbed the wrong bottle, taking the sleeping pills instead of the energy ones. He was literally so run down from the constant studying and pressure of being in charge of the fraternity that he just relapsed into his old ways.

Obviously, Liam knew these types of acts were permitted on school grounds. Taking pills to enhance your learning experience was not only dangerous, but it was considered 'cheating' by some teachers. He'd tried to stop several times, and succeeded for a while, only to find himself at rock bottom with a bottle of pills in one hand and an alcoholic beverage in the other.

One of the other boys was starting to stir in his bed. In a flash, Liam had shut off the light and had tucked himself back into bed, not getting caught awake.

Harry was the one that had woken up, and he could of sworn someone else was too. His eyes fluttered a couple times, before he realized that the room in fact was still dark. He sat up, looking around to see if he could catch whoever was up, but nothing seemed off to him. Sighing, he layed back down and tried to lull himself to sleep.

Something felt different inside of him, though, and it was keeping him up. Harry felt like even though he'd helped Liam out tonight with so much, it still felt like something was missing inside of him.

Trying to clear his head, the boy snuggled into his blankets. He felt great about what he did for Liam and he was glad he could help him in his time of need. But there was still that nagging at the back of his brain that wanted to figure out why he had pills to knock him out. Harry never noticed them before tonight, so how long had he had them?

The thoughts were still circling Harry's mind as he fell into a deep sleep. Within the next few hours, it was time to wake up again. The sun was beaming through the open curtains, and he opened his eyes to see a very happy Liam standing in front of him. He looked around, taking in his surroundings, seeing that he and Liam were the only ones.

"Harry! Finally you're up! You have no idea how thankful I am for you!" Liam said, lunging towards the still half-asleep boy. Harry was startled by the sudden gesture, but pulled him into a lazy hug.

"It's nothing, man. I know you're tied down with everything lately." Harry said groggily, pushing the boy off him. There was a silence, just filled with Liam smiling from ear to ear and Harry staring blankly at him. When he became aware of everything, "Woah, what time is it?"

Liam checked the clock on his phone, "Oh shit, it's seven thirty. I have to get going, see ya, mate!" He said, grabbing the books off the floor and dashing out of the room. Harry blinked a couple times, before realizing he should probably get going himself.

He threw off the blankets, making his way to the bathroom. Harry took care of his morning duties, like using the bathroom and brushing his teeth. His shower was quick, only allowing himself a couple minutes due to the time-or lack thereof.

With his first class starting in less than thirty minutes, he was anxious to get himself ready. Even though half of his body was still wet, he managed to get on a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt, then pulling a pair of his tattered brown boots over his feet.

Taking one last look in the mirror, he saw that he hadn't dried his hair. A slight frown was sitting on his face, because he hated when his hair didn't look how he wanted it. Sighing, he found a snapback that was laying on his dresser and slapped it on his head, flattening the wet curls below it.

By time he had gotten his bag and exited the room, the house was dead empty. He checked the time on his phone, seeing he only had a couple minutes to spare. Harry pushed open the heavy doors, the cool autumn breeze blowing towards him.

Thankfully his first class wasn't that far from the frat house. Practically jogging to the building, he was in his seat the second the professor shut the door behind him. Harry sighed, pulling the essay he had to bullshit through last night. If he didn't step up and take care of Liam, his own work would have been perfect.

\--

Liam was practically buzzing in his seat in excitement. Or maybe it was the fact that he'd downed three cups of coffee to wake up his senses. After his rough night of sleep, he needed something to keep him alert in all of his classes. If his full attention didn't go into the class, he'd most likely fail.

Failure was not an option for Liam. He'd always been the best in everything he did. From schoolwork to even that awful phase of karate that he went through, success followed him. If he started failing now, he'd be penned as a slacker, and that couldn't happen.

He often wondered why he was so competitive when it came to being the best. His mum always said it was from being labeled as a gifted and talented student at a young age, but he had different ideas. Liam always thought it was because of his father dying at a young age, and he wanted to show his mother that he was perfectly fine without him there.

Deep down inside of him, Liam knew the real reason. It was because of his brother, Louis.

Of course, like any only child would be, he was angry with his mum that she even thought of having another child. Liam was absolutely terrified of all the attention being taken away from him, so he tried his hardest to be amazing at everything he did.

But obviously nothing had changed. Their mum still aimed all her attention towards Liam the Great while Louis withered away into nothingness. He was second born, second best, second everything to everyone.

Sometimes when Liam couldn't sleep at night, the thought that he'd taken so much away from his own brother hurt him inside. Guilt would envelope his entire body, nagging and picking at every inch, every cell inside of him.

That's when he took the sleeping pills like they were candy. When he remembered all of his wrongdoings and couldn't stand to be awake anymore.

Last night was different, though. The guilt he had inside of him wasn't from Louis, it was actually from Zayn. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel any guilt from what he did to the young boy. Liam didn't even mean for it to go as bad as it did, all he wanted to do was teach the kid how to have some fun. He honestly didn't want the boy to get so wasted that his best friend had to get him out of there.

The memories haunted his brain, making Liam rapidly tap his pen on his desk. The guy next to him gave him a concerned look before taking his own hand over his and pressing it on his desk. Liam looked at the other boy beside him and apologized.

While he recalled the events from that night, his mind stopped like a tape at one particular moment. When he saw Louis take Zayn out, someone had been there with him. Liam squinted his eyes, trying to recollect who the other boy was and how he knew his brother so well that he'd help him out in a time of need.

His thoughts were interrupted by the professor asking for their essays. Liam smugly pulled 'his' essay out of his binder, passing it down the rows of the lecture hall.

\--

All through his classes today, Louis had been sneaking messages to Harry. Even though they had just talked on the phone the night before, he missed the boy a lot. Louis felt like he wanted to spend all of his time with the older boy.

Having crushes was never really his thing, so Louis had no clue how to deal with all these new feelings he was developing. Yeah, he'd had feelings for other people but none of them were as intense as the ones that were now taking over his body.

Several scenarios filled the boys head of things he wanted to do with Harry. Like watching old movies or cuddling in bed, even how their first kiss would go. All Louis could imagine sometimes was pressing his own thin lips against Harry's plump, red ones. He often wondered if he could make that dream a reality someday.

The not knowing if Harry liked him back was the problem, though. Louis thought he acted like it, always sending him cute messages. And hell, they'd even gone out on a date-or that's what Louis liked to call it. So Louis decided that he'd find out himself.

Having the courage to ask him wasn't easy, but since it was through text message there wasn't as much pressure. Louis' heart was pounding as he typed in the four words that could change his life forever. He waited ever so impatiently, tapping his pen against his desk.

The wait wasn't that long, only a couple minutes. But to Louis it felt like an eternity waiting for the older boy to text him back. He bit down hard on his cheek as he opened the message, the taste of blood filling his mouth.

He read the words across the screen several times, feeling the excitement rush through his body with each word.

Harry had invited him to the frat house tonight to 'come find out' when everyone else was asleep, wanting to keep their meeting secret.

Louis didn't quite know how he felt about being on a college campus so late, but then he remembered it was with Harry, and he had faith that he'd protect him if anything went wrong.


	9. nine

Louis pulled into the frat house parking lot later that evening, finding the spot where Harry told him to leave his car. He put his car in park, getting out of the warm, enclosed space to the cold air outside. He looked around the familiar parking lot, looking for where he was supposed to enter. Harry gave him specific instructions so they wouldn't be caught together. Guests weren't allowed in the house after seven, unless it was a party night.

He noticed that the back door was ajar, just like Harry told him it would be. Louis jogged across the empty lot to the door, opening it quietly. Once inside, he found Harry standing there. They were in the kitchen, which was rather large. Harry came towards him with his arms stretched out, embracing him into a hug.

"I've been waiting to see you." Harry said breathlessly.

"We just saw each other two days ago." Louis laughed, even though he had to agree. He'd missed Harry also.

"I know buts it's felt like forever. I just missed you a lot." Harry said and Louis could feel the blush rising in his cheeks. He didn't say anything back, but by the smile on his face, Harry didn't need a response.

He made his way over to the refrigerator, leaving Louis to stand awkwardly by the doorway. He pulled out a beer, cocking it towards Louis, "Want one?"

 

"I-uh, no thanks. Don't forget, I'm only sixteen." Louis said, walking over to the fridge where Harry was.

"Suit yourself." He said, popping the cap off the bottle. Harry jumped up onto the counter-top, taking a seat. He took a swig from the bottle, then set it down next to him, "So, I believe your question was if I liked you." He said, the corner of his mouth raising into a smirk.

Louis nodded, shaking from nervousness. He tried to calm himself down, but he wouldn't be calm until he had a straight answer from Harry.

Harry pushed himself off the counter, and turned Louis around in a half circle. He lifted up the smaller boy's body and set him on the counter where he was just standing. Louis was about to question what he was doing, but his lips were shut by Harry's on top of his. Their first kiss was just how Louis pictured it in his head, except not as slow as he thought it would be.

Harry's hands were on his face, obviously being the one in control during the kiss. His lips were like soft pillows on top of Louis', and were cracked from the cold weather. He tasted like alcohol and mint, his tongue brushing on the bottom of the younger boy's lips. Louis allowed him in, wrapping his arms around the older boy's neck. Harry loosened himself from his grasp, looking at him up and down, "Did that answer your question?"

"Perfectly." Louis answered, not even trying to wipe the smile off his face. The other boy's look was sincere, burning through Louis like a laser.

"Let's go somewhere else, other than the kitchen, yeah?" Harry said, taking one last swig from the bottle before tossing it in the garbage, and helping Louis off the tall counter. Louis was still dizzy from the kiss as he followed Harry into the room he knew as the great room.

"You cold?" Harry asked, moving towards a basket full of blankets. Louis nodded, catching the blanket that was tossed to him from across the room. He sat down on the white, plushy couch beneath him, and the older boy took the adjoining one.

Louis sat cross-legged, with a goofy smile on his face. The younger boy reminded him of Peter Pan, with his cute little ways and his fairy-esque face. Even the hair was the same, the fringe placed messily across his forehead in one direction. And most importantly, the innocence of a child was nestled in his soul. That killed Harry, because he knew he could be the one to take away that innocence.

They didn't say anything for a while, just making awkward eye contact and not speaking. Louis was taking in the room around him, since it was an unfamiliar setting, but Harry was taking in the lovely boy in front of him. There was just so much to look at, from his cerulean blue eyes to his small body.

"I want to know everything about you," Harry said, finally breaking the silence. Louis snapped back into reality, staring into the forest green eyes across from him. "And don't hold back this time." Harry added, intimidating the other boy.

Louis hesitated, not knowing where to start. Then he remembered a game him and Zayn used to play all the time when they were kids. "Do you have any post-it notes?"

"Yeah, I'll go get some." Harry said, giving him a strange look. He left the boy alone in the great room for a few minutes before he came back with a red package of sticky notes and a pen.

Louis started writing at random things that they could exchange about each other. He spent about three minutes doing this, while Harry waited patiently on the other couch. Louis stuck the notes in rows along the coffee table, displaying the different words.

"A mate of mine and I played this all the time. Just pick a sticky note and I have to tell you whatever it says on the note-card, then you tell me your answer." Louis said, proudly.

Harry skimmed over the cards, looking for an easy starter. He picked up the post-it note that read, 'middle name'. "What's your middle name?" Harry asked.

"Louis William Tomlinson." Louis said, running his tongue across his teeth.

"I like that, I'm Harry Edward Styles." Harry extended his hand out with a wink, taking Louis' dainty hand into his own. He felt sparks run through his body, and wondered if the other boy felt it too.

Louis plucked the first piece of paper that he could reach, reading it off, "Pet Peeve?"

"People that lie." Harry announced, sending Louis' stomach into his butt. He wondered that in if this moment he should tell him the truth about Liam being his brother.

"Before I say mine, can I tell you something?" Louis' heart was banging against his rib-cage as he said this. Harry nodded, giving him the queue to speak again. "I lied about being an only child. Liam is my brother." He said, waiting for Harry's response.

Harry's blood was rushing through his ears. It just so happens that the kid he's falling over is the little brother of Liam Payne? His mentor, his president, the reliant of his future?

"Wow. I don't even-" Harry said, not knowing how to approach the situation.

"I hope you forgive me, I just didn't want you to compare me to him. You know how he can be a little...extreme sometimes." Louis had a point with this, Harry agreed.

"I know what you mean. I forgive you, it's just a lot to take in." Harry said. "So what's your pet peeve?" Harry changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on it any longer.

"It gets on my nerves when people always try to outdo you in everything." Louis explained, and Harry knew exactly what he was getting at. He tried to hold back the laugh that was caught in his throat.

"I get what you mean." Was the only thing he could say without offending him and his brother. The next sticky note was picked, and the next, and the next, until eventually ran out. They found out so much about each other, like their birthplace to their most embarrassing stories. The time had escaped them since they were having so much fun.

Louis' eye caught the clock, seeing that it was almost two in the morning. "Crap, I have school tomorrow. I'd really love to stay Harry, but I can't. This was fun, let's do it again, yeah?" Louis said, all of his words jumbling together into what seemed like one sentence.

"Oh shit, I wasn't even paying attention. Yeah, I'll text you tomorrow, okay?" Harry said, sending Louis off with their second kiss.

Harry watched his love interest pull out of the driveway, unaware that he was being watched. Harry closed the curtains that he was looking through, standing in the kitchen for a while, recalling everything that just happened.

He finally got Louis where he wanted him, and was extremely happy about it. He wondered if they were a couple or anything yet, but then decided it was too early to decide.

Harry trudged up the stairs to his dorm room, yawning into his hand. He tiptoed into his room, closing the door behind him.

"Late night?" A voice whispered, scaring him to death. By force of habit, he swung his arm towards the direction of where the voice was coming out. He heard someone fall to the floor with a thud, several curse words following it. It was Niall.

"What the fuck, Niall?" Harry swore in a whisper-yell, careful not to wake Liam.

"You shouldn't be the one asking questions. Where the hell were ya?" He asked, holding his hand over his nose that he was pretty sure was bleeding.

"I was just downstairs. I had to go down and get something." He lied, pushing the questioning boy out his way.

"For four hours? Fuckin' liar." Niall spat, grabbing him by his shirt. Harry sighed.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I was with someone." Harry said, seeing Niall's eyebrow raise in the almost dark room.

"Was it Louis?" He whispered, making sure Liam didn't hear, in case he was awake.

"Yes it was. Now can I go to bed?" Harry begged, and Niall gave up, letting him go.

Harry crawled into his tiny bed, pulling his knees up to his chest and smiling to himself. He thought over the events of the night, feeling the giddiness of a new crush spread through his body. It had been a while since he'd had a real crush instead of just a small fling.

Then he remembered what he told him about his family, that the boy sleeping in this exact room was part of his flesh and blood. That the boy that had been teaching Harry his ways of life for three years was related to the guy he was starting to fall for. The whole thing was so weird to Harry that he didn't even want to think about.

And the worst part of it all, he couldn't let Liam find out.

\--

The drive home was all a blur to Louis, because he was still on the high that he always had when he was anywhere near Harry. And the fact that he kissed him just made it so much better. The warmth from Harry's lips still lingered on Louis' long after he left the house, even when he was laying in bed that night.

He'd sneaked through the window since he didn't want his mother to know he had snuck out. If she ever knew Louis had left in the middle of night to hang out with a boy in a fraternity, he'd be absolutely dead by the next morning.

So here he was, safe and sound in his bed. Harry's creamy face and the unruly curls that were hidden under his green snapback. His raspy voice was ringing in Louis' ears, chilling his spine with every word that he remembered he said.

Louis knew so much about Harry now, but he wanted to know more than just the basics. He wanted to know all the secrets and insecurities he'd never tell anyone else, except for the person he was in love with.

Louis hoped that one day he could be that person.


	10. ten

It was Thursday before the two boys saw each other again. Wednesday was when Louis' school had their club meetings, and Harry was busy working with Liam anyways. Harry and Liam had to plan out the next party, which of course, Liam wanted to be themed.

Harry listened to the countless amounts of horrible ideas, all ranging from a cowboys to austronauts to animals. Harry was allowed to give input, but he couldn't really think of anything.

Then he thought of Louis, his serene eyes and his caramel colored skin. His femine voice and his adorable laugh. Harry practically zoned out with his chin in the palm of his hands, daydreaming about the younger boy. Then an idea hit him like a brick.

"Romeo and Juliet!" He yelled, interrupting Liam midsentence. Harry smacked his hands on the table, shooting his seat backwards onto the floor. Out of breath from the sudden movement, he looked down at Liam, who was just sitting there and squinting into space.

"Huh." Liam said, turning his head to the right.

"Huh? That's all you have to say?" Harry asked, his voice becoming shrill quickly, "It's perfect! I mean we could have the masks and the dancing and-"

"The tragic suicide?" Liam cut him off mid-ramble, giving him a cocky smile.

"No, no. Why would you even say that? I mean we could recreate the party scene, where all the guests are in different masks and where Romeo and Juliet first fall in love." Harry explained, putting his seat back into place.

"I've read the play, Harry, I'm not an idiot." Liam spat, obviously butthurt that he hadn't thought of the idea first, "I'll consider it."

Harry clapped his hands together excitedly, Not even bothering to hide the smile on his face, "Liam it's going to be so great, trust me. I'll help out, I promise."

"Talk to me later about it, alright? It's going to be Saturday, by the way." Liam said, exiting the dining hall.

The first thing Harry decided to do when he left was to give Louis a call. When he was about four digits into his phone number, he remembered that he was in high school, and was more than likely in class. It was only ten in the morning, and Harry's classes for the day hadn't started yet. So he sent off a quick text to Louis, explaining the idea he came up with for the party.

Louis wasn't so fast to respond, or not as fast as Harry wanted him to. His message was short, telling Harry that he couldn't wait.

Harry smiled, putting his phone back into his pocket. He turned off the light and exited the dining hall, only to be greeted by the pledges that were standing outside the door.

"We heard your idea for the party." One of the boys six piped up from the back, over the heads of the taller lads in front of him.

"We think it's great and we'll help you convince Liam." The one in the middle said, gazing through Harry with brown eyes.

"You'd do that? Thanks." Harry said sincerely, giving the boys a close-lipped smile before walking off. The pledges looked eerily happy, and that scared Harry. They usually looked like they wanted to commit murder upon their mentors.

He passed through them swiftly, ignoring their creepy smiling faces. He wondered if they'd found the liquor cabinet in the basement that was only for the older members. Pledges always scared him though, because they were so filled with hope and excitement, like little children. By time they got into the house full-time they'd realize it's not all partying and fun.

Harry was on the lookout for Niall to pass the party theme to him, but he couldn't find him anywhere. He was absolutely sure that he wasn't in class, and he hadn't left the house. Harry searched through all the rooms until a head of blonde hair caught his eye from the window.

Niall was outside with his phone clasped to his ear, his face red with anger. Harry knew all too well that talking to an angry Niall was like suicide, so he tried to avoid the blonde boy on the phone. But he was too late: the Irish boy had already spotted him, angrily hanging up the phone and wiping the tears from him face.

"Haz!" Niall exclaimed, putting a front over himself. He hated when people saw him cry, because it made him feel weak compared to his usual 'badass' image.

"Niall, what's wrong?" Harry asked, taking a chance. Niall sighed, letting his frown take over. Harry was his best friend, he wouldn't think any less of him.

"Just shit with my parents, same old." Niall said, waving his hand off.

"Wanna talk about it?" Harry asked, giving Niall a sympathetic smile.

"They just want me to clean up my act, you know, grades and stuff." Niall lowered his eyes and Harry knew he was hiding something.

Not wanting to pester him about it, he rubbed his mate's back in circles as he straightened himself up. When he stopped his muffled crying, he looked up at Harry, the fire restored in his eyes.

"How was the party planning with Liam?" He laughed, his voice full of life again. Harry's heart warmed at the sound of his mate's laugh.

"How do you think it went?" Harry said, rolling his eyes almost in the back of his head, a gesture that always made Niall laugh. "I'm just kidding, I actually came up with an idea for it."

"No shit," Niall said, a laugh escaping the back of his throat, "What is it?"

"Romeo and Juliet." Harry exclaimed proudly, a goofy grin on his face. "Like when they first meet."

"I like it." Niall said, after tapping himself on the chin a couple times.

"Then help me convince Liam." Harry said, the smile fading off his face.

"Do I have to?" The blonde boy whined playfully.

"Yes, now come on. We need to find out now." Harry stood up from the crouch he was in, waiting for Niall to come along with him.

When they walked back into the house, it was absolute chaos. Pledges were no where to be found, but the older members were all angry and swearing at one another. The house had art supplies everywhere, glitter and glue littering the floor.

"The hell happened in here?" Niall said, his Irish accent strong.

"The pledges wanted to take on the task of making the masks." Luke, a boy in the same grade as Harry and Niall, said. "Oh yeah, they talked to Liam. Romeo and Juliet is on." He said, walking backwards towards the other boys he was standing with.

Harry was ecstatic that Liam had finally agreed with his theme. A smile was unstoppable, showing off his white teeth. He walked right into their shares room to find Liam on the bed, looking up at him.

"Thanks so much, Li." Harry said, the excitement showing in his voice.

"Yeah yeah, you're welcome. You have a lot of work to do, Styles." Liam said, walking up to him with a stack of papers in his hands.

"What's this?" Harry said, looking over the packets of papers in his hands. They were addresses of people and different stores around the city.

"Oh, your idea, your party." Was all Liam said before giving the dumbfounded boy in front of him a wink and closing the door.


	11. eleven

Harry watched from the stairwell as the room filled with tons of faceless people. The masks were creative, showing off each person's individual personality. Or maybe they just bought the first one they could find in time, Harry didn't know. Either way, the house was set up beautifully. He'd turned the place into an ancient Medivial ball, just like the one he saw in the 1960's _Romeo & Juliet_ movie he rented Thursday night. It was his first party that he'd thrown himself, and it had to be fantastic. Also, he'd wanted to show up Liam on how great the party would turn out to be.

To his surprise, Harry hadn't caught once glimpse of Liam all night. He'd seen the boy escape from their room in his attire, mask and all, but then never saw him again. Harry wondered if he should be worried about his mentor or if Liam was planning on avoiding him. It didn't matter though, he was here to enjoy himself, not to worry about what Liam thought.

Another person that Harry was on the watch for was Louis. They'd texted right before Louis left his house, and he could tell the other boy was excited. Louis had decided to go stag this time and not bring Zayn along, after the events of last time. Harry agreed, telling him it was probably for the best.

So Harry waited, and waited, and waited. People were starting to thin out from the entrance way and Harry thought that he'd never show up. Then he saw the familiar, caramel-colored fringe and tan skin that was Louis Tomlinson. His heartbeat quickened in his chest, recognizing him immediately. His face was half-way covered with a mask, painted of different shades of blue. Harry inhaled deeply, thinking that it fit his personality perfectly.

He watched as the younger boy scanned the room, catching Harry's gaze at the top of the stairs. Whilst Louis started up the stairs, Harry began going down them. They met halfway in a hug, holding onto one another. "Missed you." Harry whispered to Louis, kissing him lightly on the ear.

"I missed you too." Louis said, pulling back from the embrace.

Louis took in the boy in front of him, forgetting how to breath for a couple seconds. He took in all of Harry's features, that were visible. He was dressed in all black, like he was the last time they were at a party together. His curls were unruly under his green mask that matched his eyes. Louis thought he looked absolutely stunning.

"Come dance with me, yeah?" Harry asked, clasping his large hand around Louis' dainty ones. He nodded, walking besides Harry down the stairs.

The two boy's weren't afraid of people finding them together tonight, since everyone was masked. It was just like they were all nameless people, enjoying each others company. But to Harry and Louis, this meant a lot more. They'd be able to share their first public kiss, dance, everything, just as 'two guys at a frat party'.

This is why Harry came up with the idea of the Masquerade party, so he could be with the boy he liked without anyone knowing. That person being preferably Liam. He knew that Niall was perfectly fine with it, and he was the only other person that he worried about finding out. But if Liam knew, he'd go absolutely bat shit on Harry.

 They danced for a while, Harry doing an awkward shimmy to make Louis laugh. Louis took his dancing more seriously, swiveling his hips in circles to the beat. Harry was impressed with the younger boy's moves, not expecting him to be the dancer he was.

A slow song came on unexpectedly, making the single party-goers groan and walk away from the crowd. Harry held out his hand to Louis, "May I have this dance?"

Louis laughed, placing his hand into Harry's, "Of course, you dolt."

Harry pulled the younger boy into him, towering over Louis. He never realized how short he was in comparison until this very moment. Not even when they shared their first kisses.

Louis leaned his head on Harry's chest, listening to his heart beat as the song went on. Harry placed his own head over Louis', nuzzling into his fluffy hair. They rocked back and forth, the rest of the party going on around them. This moment was sentimental to them both, being the first time they've really felt connected throughout the entire relationship they've had.

Neither of the boys wanted the song to end, but eventually it did. The thumping music with the sick beats started playing again, people rushing back to the crowd of dancing bodies. But Harry and Louis stayed the way they were, still swaying back and forth in a smooth motion.

Harry planted a kiss on Louis' head, the younger boy now looking at up at him. Harry bent down, kissing him on the lips, for real this time. Louis wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling Harry into him. It felt like the party that was in full-swing around them wasn't even there. All that mattered to the two was each other, and that they only had tonight to display themselves.

\--

Liam had been trying to avoid Harry all night. The last time he'd seen him was a couple hours ago, when he'd left the house after getting ready. He didn't want to see Harry rub it in his face that the party seemed to be a huge success. He'd simply just strolled in and stole his thunder. Liam asked for input, not to put the whole party together.

Then again, he did have himself to blame. He was the one that had a tantrum, telling Harry to just plan the party himself. But Liam thought he'd never actually do it. It looked like this party was better put together than the one last week. And Liam was pissed.

He'd just arrived back at the house, scanning the house for sign of anyone he knew. But it was so hard to find people with all these masks. He didn't recognize anyone at all. The colorful masks covered the faceless people under them, giving Liam no inkling to who they were.

Searching for Harry to congratulate him, he had no luck at all. Liam knew he shouldn't be that hard to find, considering he was one of the tallest people here. Also, those hardly tamable curls were unmistakable, being Harry's trademark.

Liam was peaking through the crowd around the stereo system, seeing the tall boy among everyone else. He was about to tap him on the shoulder, when he realized he was snogging a boy that looked much younger than him. Without thinking, Liam pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. Revenge was sweet.

He walked away, his heart pounding in his ears. He had no idea who the boy with Harry was, but it could certainly tarnish his now-perfect reputation. How dare he even think about showing Liam up at his own event? This would be the greatest payback of them all.

After looking for someone to share this with, he found Niall. He was sticking out like a sore thumb with his bleached blonde hair, the tips now a darkening brown. Liam sneaked up behind him, poking him in the side.

"Who the-Oh." Niall said, his face changing from confusion to complete sternness, "Hey Liam."

"You'll never believe what I just saw." Liam sounded like a gossiping girl in middle school as he slid his finger across his phone, unlocking it. Niall stayed silent, waiting patiently for the older boy to show him whatever it was that had so much importance.

Niall looked at the phone that was shoved in his face, taking in the image in front of him. He saw a boy that was, without a doubt, Harry, snogging on a boy much younger than him, to which he recognized as Louis.

"Can you believe it?" Liam asks, his voice getting shrill, "That kid looks so young! I would never expect that from Harry."

"Give a man a mask..." Niall laughed nervously, careful not to leak any information about the couple to Liam. He wasn't for sure that he even knew yet, so he didn't want to out Harry on accident.

"I didn't even know he was fucking gay. I mean you think he'd tell one of his best friends something so important," Liam said, talking way too loud, "Did you know?"

"Yeah." Was all Niall said, giving Liam short answers as he was questioned.

Liam was frustrated, getting absolutely no information from the Irish lad. He eventually walked away, knowing that he was hiding too many secrets. Liam went back to the spot where he had originally found Harry, but he was nowhere to be found.

\--

Harry had led Louis up to his bedroom, getting him away from the rush of the party. Louis was anxious to get away from the wild party-goers, and the fact that Harry wanted to leave also made him feel a hundred percent more comfortable.

"I gotta warn ya, I share a room with Niall and Liam." Harry laughed, before turning the knob on his bedroom door. It opened before them, slightly ajar to where someone could on peak through. Harry gave it a nudge with his foot, cocking his head and inviting Louis to come inside. Once they were in, both of the boys removed their masks and threw them to the floor.

The room was pretty clean for being owned by three young men. The beds were made neatly and clothes didn't clutter the floor, like Louis expected. Three beds were pushed up against the opposing walls. Louis immediately knew which one was Liam's, recognizing his old furniture and books from back home. Liam's bed was placed in the center, pushed up against the sole window in the room.

"Trying to figure out which one's mine?" Harry asked, nudging Louis lightly on the shoulder. He closed the door behind them quietly, not wanting to slam it.

"Yeah, I've narrowed it down to those two." Louis pointed to the beds that opposed each other. One side was filled with posters of bands Louis never heard of, pictures of different people filling up a cork board on the wall. The adjacent side was pretty bare, only a couple pictures and sports posters tacked to the wall. Harry never seemed like the sporty type, so Louis went for the other one.

"I think I got it, yeah. Yours is that one." Louis said smugly, nodding his head towards the left side of the room.

"I'd have to say you're right." Harry walked over to his best, sitting himself onto it. "Sit down, Lou. You don't have to be shy." Harry purred, waving him over.

Louis felt his knees shaking under him, feeling like his legs were jello as he made his way over to the bed. He had to jump to get himself on top of the bed, making him blush with embarrassment. Harry thought it was cute that the boy was shorter than him. He'd always wanted to date someone who wasn't as tall as he was.

They stayed quiet for a second, Louis looking around the room. Harry on the other hand, was watching the boy. He noticed the way his eyes fluttered, his long eyelashes hitting the tops of his eyelids. He watched the way he fiddled his thumbs in nervousness, and how he bit his thin, bottom lip.

Louis turned back to Harry, snapping him out of his gaze, "Were you staring at me?" Louis said flirtatiously. Harry felt his cheeks redden, his blood boiling in his veins.

"I was just thinking about how beautiful you are." He said, leaning in closer. Louis was still sitting upright, letting his eyes flutter closed. Harry watched Louis close his eyes, before closing his own.

Harry pushed his pillowy lips against the younger boy's, sweetly. He was leaning completely into Louis, letting him fall back onto the bed. Harry straddled himself on top of him, letting Louis sink into the mattress. Harry started moving his hands over the younger boy's torso, running them up his shirt and feeling his small tummy underneath.

Louis took Harry by surprise, using his tongue to ask for entrance. They moved their tongues together rhythmically, coming closer together. Louis' hands were sliding up and down Harry's back, slightly tugging the older boy into him. Harry's hands started to travel further down south, reaching the waistband on Louis' jeans.

Thinking they were going to fast, Louis broke off from the kiss, "Harry, I like you a lot, but I don't want this to go any further tonight." He said, swallowing as he said that.

"Shit, Lou, sorry." Harry said, sitting up from the smaller boy. "I didn't mean to push you or anything." He apologized.

"It's fine, it's just..." Louis trailed on, wondering if he should say anything or not.

"Just what?" Harry asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"I'm a virgin." Louis admitted, taking Harry aback. Sometimes he forgot that they weren't the same age and that Louis was in fact, only sixteen years old.

"Yeah, sorry. I know that's big to people." Harry laughed out uncomfortably. He didn't even remember when he lost his, just remembering that he was drunk at the time it happened. Harry wished more than even to recall it, knowing it should of been more special. And he wasn't going to have Louis be the same way. "I understand."

"Maybe when I'm more ready..." Louis said, trying to cheer him up. Harry lifted his head, giving him a sweet smile.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Harry panicked. He hoped with all of his heart that Liam wasn't on the outside of the door.

"Haz? Ya in here?" An Irish accent asked, which they recognized immediately to be Niall.

"Yes, what do you need?" Harry asked, standing outside the door.

"I need to come in, we need to talk," Niall sounded like he had something important to say, "Is _he_ in there?"

"Louis?" Harry asked, a hushing noise quickly following it.

"Let me in, please." Niall asked, the door being opened in his face. He slammed it behind him, making sure no one could hear, "Liam knows." Was all he had to say to send shock into the two boys.

"What do you mean?" Louis asked, his head spinning. Harry didn't say anything, his eyes just widened in horror.

"Well, he sort of knows. He knows Harry is gay and with someone younger. He took a picture of you two snogging."

"Shit." Harry muttered out, raising a hand to his chin and pacing the room, "Do something about it, Niall! Liam's pissed at me and I know he's going to fuck me over with it." Harry demanded, not knowing what to do in this position.

"I don't know what to do, Haz. I'll try, okay?" Niall said, before leaving the room. Harry moved back over to the bed, sitting down next to Louis.

"I'm sure Niall is going to do everything he can, he's one of your best mates, I can tell." Louis assured him, rubbing large circles on his back. Harry looked up at the boy with a broken smile. "I mean, if we stay together, Liam's going to have to know..." Louis couldn't believe the words came out of his mouth.

"True. But I just didn't want it to happen so soon, you know?" Harry said, resting his head on Louis' shoulder. Louis comforted him by kissing him on the forehead. "We better get back downstairs, we better enjoy the party while we can." Louis agreed, putting his blue mask over his face. He watched Harry strap on his green one, waiting for him to leave after him.

Harry put on a smile, remembering the quote he'd always heard Niall say: ' _Give A Man A Mask And He'll Tell The Truth._ ' And maybe someday, he'd be able to tell the truth, unmasked.


	12. twelve

Zayn hadn't talked to Louis in a long time, or what seemed like a long time to him. It had been about two weeks since he'd even gotten a single text from the boy. He saw him everyday in homeroom, giving a simple hello to each other before Louis took his seat and giggled at his phone the entire time. Without a doubt, Zayn knew he was talking to Harry. Ever since he'd become so invested in the boy, it seemed like Louis had dropped every other aspect in his life.

When report cards were handed out, Zayn caught a sneak peek of his best mate's. Louis was now repping B's and C's, when he used to keep up his usual streak of A's. His appearance had changed also. Louis' hair went from it's usual emo like hairstyle to some kind of fluffy fringe that Zayn couldn't put a title on. His hair also looked much lighter in comparison to the dark chocolate brown hair that Zayn had become accustomed to. His clothes were either too big or too small on him, dark in color and not his usual style of peppy clothing.

All in all, Louis had noticeably changed right before Zayn's eyes. And he wanted to get to the bottom of it. It was a monday morning and Zayn was impatiently waiting for Louis to walk through the doors of their homeroom. The bell had rang and their was still no sign of his best mate, and Zayn sighed, leaning his head back in his seat.

The teacher had begun to call roll, saying the student's names in the same drone fashion as done everyday previous to this one. Louis' name was about to be called, when someone burst into the classroom, almost smacking the door against the wall. It was Louis.

"Sorry, sir." Louis was out of breath as he handed the note to the teacher. Zayn scrunched up his nose at the boy, taking in his attire for the day. His hair was wet against his forehead, and his shirt was way too long for his short torso. Louis had on black, ripped jeans that were rolled up at the bottom of the brown boots he was wearing.

"Hi." Louis said shortly, tossing his backpack onto the floor and taking a seat next to Zayn. The boy didn't say anything at first, just eyeing his best friend. Louis shifted uncomfortably in his gaze, asking, "Why the hell are you staring at me like that?"

Zayn's blood boiled inside of him, his blank expression turning into a scowl, "I don't know, maybe it's because you haven't talked to me in two weeks now."

"I've been busy." Louis spat out quickly, nervous under Zayn's death glare.

"Don't give me that bullshit, I've seen your grades," Zayn looked so angry, scaring Louis. His best friend never got like this, "And what the bloody hell are you wearing?" Zayn asked, lifting his hands towards the boy's odd clothing choice. Louis ignored him, balling his fists under the table.

"So what? I changed what I wear? That's such a crime." Louis said, not having a comeback to the grades aspect. He knew he was doing worse than usual.

"This is all because of Harry." Zayn muttered, looking down at his hands in his lap. Louis' blood boiled at the mention of his name.

"Don't you dare blame any of this on him." His jaw clenching as he sad this, Louis had the coldest look on his face that Zayn had ever seen.

"But it's true. Ever since you met him a couple weeks ago, you've turned into someone else!" He said, trying not to yell. Other students were starting to stare, but neither of the boys were paying attention to them.

"It's called growing up," The bell sounding above them, "Maybe you should try it sometime." Louis said, shoving his chair into his desk and throwing his backpack over his shoulder. He angrily stalked out of the room, shaking his head in disbelief.

Zayn was supposed to be his best friend, always having his back to support him no matter what. Louis would and had done the same for him, so why was he freaking out so badly? All Louis did was spend more time with Harry than previously, which was kind of expected when someone found a significant other. _But Zayn wouldn't know about that_ , Louis thought, shaming himself afterwords for thinking such an awful thing about his best mate.

 But maybe after today, they wouldn't be as good as friends as Louis thought they were.

\--

"Harry, I've barely seen you all week. Where have you been?" Niall asked, grabbing his friend by the arm. Harry turned towards him, purple spots circling the bottoms of his eyes.

"Out." Harry said shortly, turning back into the direction he was walking. Niall followed close behind him, trying to keep up with his fast pace.

"What do you mean 'out'? Like where, you fuckin' dolt." Niall was starting to aggravated with Harry. The only times he saw him were in the morning, when Niall was the one that had to wake the boy up. That was a tough task within itself, Harry was the heaviest sleeper that he knew.

"I was with Louis, and the rest of the time I was trying to get Payne off my back." Harry hissed. He'd been kissing Liam's ass all week, hoping that it would help him forget about the risque picture on his phone. When he was free from Liam's hold, he was trying to spend as much time with Louis as possible. Harry had been sneaking the younger boy into the house at night, he even stayed over the night before. It was difficult for him to leave unnoticed, but they'd done it.

They knew it was risky, but they couldn't stand not being with each other. Louis didn't exactly plan on staying overnight, but Harry had insisted. The two had lost track of time and Louis had accidentally stayed until almost three in the morning. Harry lent him some clothes and let him sleep in his bed, both of them having to cram in to fit. The next morning, Niall had to shake Harry awake, while he toppled over the smaller boy, hoping he was unseen. Harry had lent the boy an outfit to wear to school, giving him a kiss and letting him go his own way.

"I told you already, I took care of Liam." Niall repeated himself for the thousandth time. He'd told Harry two weeks ago that he'd straightened the whole thing out with Liam, but Harry still insisted to kiss Liam's ass.

"I'm just making sure, Niall. I really want to keep things going with Lou and I can't take any chances of anyone messing it up." Harry admitted.

"I understand that, just take it easy. I miss you, Haz." Niall said, a slight frown on his face.

"I miss you too, mate. I promise, I'll stop freaking out over the whole thing." Harry lied. The whole idea of Liam leaking the picture scared the hell out of him. It could ruin his reputation, but it could also get him in tons of trouble.

Niall gave Harry a smile, walking in the opposite direction now. Harry sighed, seeing that barely anyone else was in the house, besides a couple of underclassmen. He'd only been home from class for about ten minutes, using that time to talk with Niall. Since he was going to try to stop worrying, he gave Louis a call as he walked up to his room.

"Hey, babe!" Harry yelled when he heard the click that indicated the phone had been picked up.

"Hey, kitten." Louis said, and Harry could feel his smile through the phone.

"I have nothing to do today, so I was wondering if you'd want to-"

"Yes." Louis answered quickly, not letting Harry finish.

"You didn't even let me finish." Harry giggled.

"Didn't have to. I'd do anything with you." Louis purred, and Harry's eyebrow cocked.

"Someone's getting a little fiesty."

"Maybe I've been spending too much time with you." Louis joked.

"Maybe you should spend more time with me, then." Harry said, biting his lip.

"Cheeky bastard!" Louis laughed, and so did Harry.

"Seriously, do you wanna do something tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm down for whatever."

"Cool, I'll pick you up...now? And we could do something, yeah?"

"Sounds good to me, see you then, kitten." Louis said, penning a new nickname on Harry.

Harry grabbed his jacket, pulling it on over his arms. He shoved his phone in his pocket and opened the door, jumping back. Liam was standing on the other side of it, with the weirdest smile on his face. Harry silently prayed that Liam didn't hear any of the conversation.

"H-hey, Liam." Harry choked out.

"Hi Harry. Going somewhere?" Liam asked, not cracking.

"'m goin' out." Harry said abruptly, trying to push past him.

"Oh, I don't think so." Liam said, shaking his head slowly, the eery smile still on his face.

"I have somewhere to be, you're not the goddamn boss." Harry pushed Liam out of the way, taking him by surprise.

"Remember that Harry, when your little secret gets out." Liam turned towards the walking Harry, waving his phone out.

Harry stopped cold, turning on his heel, "What's leaking it going to do? You can't prove anything based on that picture."

Liam's jaw dropped, but he quickly regained himself. "Don't forget what I said." Were the last words he spoke before closing the door, giving him a small wave. Harry huffed out, crossing his eyes.

Checking the time on his phone, Harry saw that he was now running late to pick Louis up. "Shit," He muttered to himself, sending off a quick message to Louis to apologize.

He drove to Louis' house, which was what he expected it to look like. A cute little two story house with lots of greenery outside. He parked on the side of the road, walking to the door. He rang the doorbell, waiting for Louis to answer.

The door opened, revealing Louis in the same clothes he had on this morning. Harry lost his breath, admiring how adorable Louis looked in his clothes. He looked like a mini version of Harry.

"Ready to go?" Louis closed the door behind him, stepping down from the house to the steps.

"Yeah." Was all Harry could make out, still admiring the beautiful boy in front of him.

Louis turned to the starry-eyed boy, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm sorry..." Harry apologized, looking away.

"I didn't mean it like that. I like when you look at me, but sometimes it just makes me insecure." Louis admitted.

"That's the last thing I want." Harry said, slipping his arm around the boy's tiny shoulder. Louis brought up his hand, interlocking it into Harry's.

Harry helped Louis into his car, closing the door behind him. He walked around the back, giving the house one last look before settling into the car himself.

"So where do you wanna go?" Harry asked, up for anything.

Louis tapped his finger against his chin, thinking, "I remember hearing something about a fair downtown..."

Harry knew exactly what Louis was talking about. Waves of nostalgia ran over his body as recalled his days at the local fair. It happened the second week of October every year, with the usual fall activities. There was a pumpkin patch and a hay ride and all that good stuff that made it autumn.

"The autumn fair. I know what you're talking about." Harry winked, jamming the key in the ignition, "Do you want to go?" Louis nodded from the passenger's seat.

The fair wasn't busy, since it was dinner time. Harry and Louis got out of the car, being chilled by the cool October air. Louis was the one to make the move this time, grabbing Harry's hand into his own. The couple walked through the fallen leaves that scattered the ground. The breeze was quite nice, evening out the humid air.

Harry removed his hands from the younger boy's to pay for their tickets, which Louis insisted against. Louis hated when people spent their money on him, it always made him feel uncomfortable. "Have you ever been before?" Harry asked, handing Louis his ticket. Louis shook his head.

"Oh, babe. I'll have to show you everything here." Harry took Louis by the hand again, leading him down to a field. Louis squinted his eyes at the little specs of orange among the the grassy area. It took him a few seconds to realize what it was.

"You're taking me to a pumpkin patch?" Louis asked, looking up at Harry.

"Are you disappointed?" Harry sounded a little hurt with his words.

"Not at all. It's just that...I've never been to one."

"You haven't done much, have you?" Harry asked, his voice sounding more sarcastic than intended.

"Couldn't. Mum was too focused on Liam." His voice was completely normal as he said this, but it made Harry angry for some reason. He wondered if that's why Liam was so arrogant nowadays.

They reached the empty field, only filled with a variety of pumpkins. "I'll find one for you, if you find one for me!" Louis says, nudging Harry in the side.

"Deal." Harry says, moving down towards the woods. The pumpkins got smaller the further you went, and Harry wanted to find a smaller one for Louis. He darted between the pumpkins, checking for bruises and holes. He wanted the one he picked for Louis to be perfect. Finally, he found one that was tiny in size, but unharmed elsewhere.

"Harry!" He heard Louis call out, waving his hands in front of him. When he got Harry's attention, he pointed at the hugest pumpkin he'd ever seen.

"Holy _shit_." He muttered under his breath, carefully picking the tiny pumpkin and putting it behind his back. Harry trudged back up the field, squinting his eyes at the pumpkin Louis wanted. "That is the biggest damn pumpkin I've ever seen."

"I know right? It's the one I wanted for you!" Louis exclaimed, jumping giddily. Harry's heart melted at the boy's excitement.

"Here's the one I got for you," Harry handed the tiny pumpkin over to Louis.

"It's so tiny and cute!" Louis examined the pumpkin, his eyes crinkling from his large smile.

"Just like you." Harry gushed.

"I love it, thank you, kitten." Louis used the nickname that made Harry get all fluttery again, pulling him into an embrace.

"Now let me pick this thing." Harry pulled away from the hug, bending over to loosen the pumpkin's roots. It was the biggest thing he'd ever seen, and it took him a good five minutes and a stumble to the ground to get it out. Louis had tried to help, but his attempt didn't really help much. He was so small in comparison to Harry. Once it was finally out of the ground, Harry said, "Let's go put these in the car."

The pumpkins took up the entire backseat of Harry's car. The tiny pumpkin sat on top of the bigger one, even though Louis was worried about it. He didn't want his pumpkin for Harry to get smashed or anything, so he was wary about leaving it on top of the other one. Harry insisted it would be alright, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"Let's do one more thing, then I'll take you to eat, alright?" Harry said, rubbing his hand on Louis' back.

"Yeah, sounds good. Where are we going?" Louis asked curiously.

"You'll see." Harry said, smirking at the younger boy. He led Louis by the hand to a shed. Louis was concerned as to what they were doing, but felt comfort when Harry opened the door. The couple walked through the shed that was filled with hay and horses, to the light at the end of the shed. Several tiny carriages and trucks were lined up, the only matter inside of them a barrel of hay. "Ever been for a hay ride?"

"Nope." Louis said.

"Then I'm honored to share the experience with you." Harry said, flashing his ticket at the driver. The man nodded, getting onto the horse that was attached to the carriage. Harry stepped on, leaning his hand down to Louis, helping him up. Louis settled onto the hard hay, feeling uncomfortable at first. He got used to it after a few seconds.

Harry slipped his arm around Louis' shoulders, letting his head fall into his own. Louis sighed happily, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent that was Harry. Harry noticed that the younger boy was shaking, and that he didn't have a coat on. "Babe, are you cold?"

"A little, yeah." Louis said with chattering teeth. Harry pulled off his own jacket, and draped it around Louis.

"That better?" Harry gave him a peck on his rosy cheeks.

"You didn't have to, kitten." Louis said, his voice getting gushy.

"But I don't want my baby to be cold." Harry set, letting Louis snuggle into him again. They rode the rest of the way in silence, Louis' eyes fluttering from tiredness and Harry playing with his fringe. When the ride ended, Harry tipped the man and helped Louis off the carriage.

Harry and Louis walked hand-in-hand to a stand inside the fairgrounds. They had different foods that would remind you of autumn, like pastries and coffees. Louis got a maple doughnut and a cup of tea, while Harry settled on a caramel coffee. They sat in the grass, eating and chattering about pertinent things. The two were completely comfortable just being with each other, so there were no boundaries on what they spoke about. Louis had a bigger imagination, so he spit out the most random things Harry had ever heard. He had so many questions that Harry could of never thought of on his own. At one point, he'd even asked Harry if he was more like a grilled cheese sandwich or a pickle.

About a week ago, they'd even started picking up each others habits. Louis started crossing his eyes when he huffed out, and he'd started fumbling over his words more. Harry, on the other hand, had developed a stronger mindset. Louis had taught him so many things that he didn't know, which was type of embarrassing since he was a college student and Louis was in high school. But his head seemed to be filled with so much knowledge and Harry wanted all of it.

They'd also grown to love each others little quirks. Harry loved the way Louis blew into his cup of tea, warming his nose and his dainty hands. Louis liked how Harry was tall and lanky, also the fact that he was awkward just made Harry a million times more attractive to him. Every time they were together, it felt like the first time they met. And every time they were apart, it felt like forever until they saw each other again.

"It's getting late, babe, I have to take you home." Harry frowned, tossing his plastic container into the trash.

"Can I stay at the house again, please?" Louis begged, sticking out his bottom lip. Harry hated when Louis pulled that unresistant look on him.

"Fine, but we have to be careful, okay?" Harry said, Louis nodding like a small puppy.

Harry went into the house first, scoping to see who was home. He told Niall that Louis was going to be there, and to steer Liam out of the house for as long as possible. When everything was clear, Harry helped Louis sneak through the window. Harry then came back around through the kitchen entrance and up to his room.

"Hi," Harry gave Louis a kiss on the lips, "I'll get you something to sleep in."

Louis waited on his bed as Harry searched through his drawers, looking for something that was a bit tight on him to fit Louis. He loved the fact that Louis was so tiny in comparison, but at the same time he hated it. He wanted to be able to share clothes with the guy he liked. He pulled out a pair of sweats from freshman year that he refused to throw away and a random band t-shirt that he'd bought a size too small. He tossed them to Louis and he caught them. Harry got out an outfit for himself, modestly stripping right in front of Louis.

Hesitating at first, Louis wasn't sure he could strip right in front of Harry. Harry caught the boy's awkward gaze, "I won't look if you don't want me too."

"No, it's okay. I mean, I saw you." Louis said, immediately regretting it afterwords. But Harry didn't seem to mind.

"Okay." Harry said, watching Louis unbutton his pants. He changed fairly quick, pulling the shirt over his waist lastly. Harry had a noticeable bulge now from seeing Louis in only his boxers. His cheeks reddened, palming himself through his sweatpants.

"C'mere," Harry flicked off the light, motioning Louis over. "Go in first, so you'll be less visible."

Louis climbed up onto the bed, crawling over to the very edge of the wall. He tucked himself in, patting the spot next to him. Harry got in, snuggling up next to him. Harry slid his arm around Louis' waist, pulling him closer.

"Harry, I have a question." Louis whispered.

"Anything, babe." Harry said, his heart beating faster.

"What exactly are we? Are we...dating?"

"If you want to, because I want to." Harry admitted, rubbing his nose against Louis', giving him an Eskimo kiss.

"I want you to be my boyfriend, kitten. But I wasn't sure if you wanted that too."

"Why wouldn't I? Can't you tell how much I like you?" Harry questioned, wondering if his affection wasn't enough.

"I wasn't sure if I was imagining it..."

"You're not, babe. I like you a lot. And I'd be honored if you'd be my boyfriend."


	13. thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, sorry this took so long to get out. I didn't have internet for like a week, so I had absolutely no time to write. If you're mad at me for not updating, yell at Mediacom. I promise it wasn't my fault haha! Um, so this might be a little...just read it. Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading. xx

 Louis had started staying over at Harry's so often that his own room felt foreign when he entered it. He expected to see band posters and Liam's books and Niall's football posters, but instead he just saw his own, bare bedroom. He'd practically been sneaking into the frat house almost every night within the last week. The routines stayed the same: sneaking in, borrowing Harry's clothes, sleeping against the cold wall, Harry snuggling him to sleep, and Niall waking them up the next morning after Liam was out of the house.

Sneaking past his mother at night was easy, also, since she never really payed much attention to Louis. He ventured out of the house at the same time every night, jumping from his window with his belongings. He couldn't believe that his mum didn't wake up to the headlights glaring through her window every night. Louis was a light sleeper, waking up to every flicker of light or sound in the night. That would of woken him up immediately. He guessed that his mother must of passed it down to his brother, seeing that he didn't notice a bump in the night either.

So here he was in his own bedroom tonight, grounded because of his sinking grades.When he'd gotten his report card today, he almost fainted. The once perfect grades were now several letters below perfect. Louis got an earful from his mum when she saw the report card, also informing him that she'd gotten a call from his home room teacher. The two were so confused, Louis was always such a great student and they had no clue why he was doing so badly.

Harry was obviously the reason, but no one else knew that. Louis had practically devoted his entire life to the older boy, giving him all of his attention. It was expected, since it was really the first person he'd ever had loving feelings towards. When he wasn't spending his time with Harry, he was daydreaming about the next time he got to see him. Louis started to get chills just thinking about the boy.

Snapping back into reality, he eyed the textbooks and notes on his bed with disgust. His homework was piling up, and he had to get it all done tonight. Tomorrow was the day of the Halloween party at the fraternity house, and he couldn't miss it. Harry had called him yesterday, hounding him on what his costume was. Louis blushed, refusing to answer him. He wanted it to be a surprise and didn't want to ruin it. It was hard not to give into Harry, because he was such a sweet talker to Louis.

Louis sighed, picking up his AP Biology book from his bed. He crossed his legs, placing the book on his lap as he opened it. He licked his thumb and flipped towards the chapter they were on, trying to take in the words and commit them to memory. But he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried or how many time he read the damned thing, the words wouldn't stick. This was so unlike him, his memory was usually spectacular.

The only thing inside of his brain was a tiny Harry Styles. Everything was about him now. Louis wondered what he was doing or what class he was at or if he was thinking of him. He was completely and utterly infatuated with Harry, and he didn't know how to deal with it. These feelings were all so new to him, and they were scary.  Louis didn't know how to deal with them. All he could think about doing was giving Harry a call, and that's what he did.

"Hello?" Harry said on the other line, his deep voice sending flutters throughout Louis' body.

"Hey kitten," Louis said blandly, writing down an equation on his paper, "What are you up to?"

"Just out buying some stuff for the party tomorrow," A loud crash was heard in the background, followed by Harry muttering out curses, "What's up with you?"

"Uh-" Louis looked down at his homework, "Just finishing up some stuff so I can go to the party tomorrow."

"Homework?" Harry asked.

"Sadly." Louis responded.

"I could help you, you know, if you want."

"That would be great!" Louis exclaimed, almost stabbing himself with his pencil.

"I'll come over as soon as I drop this stuff off at the house, then I'll be there." Harry said and they hung up the phone. Louis squealed with excitement, opening his books and scattering them so it looked like he actually tried to be productive.

Louis was glad that his mother had errands to run and she wouldn't be in the house. He wouldn't want to have to give the awkward introductions between Harry and his mum. He knew he wouldn't be allowed to say he was a college student, let alone a college student who was best friend's with her other son who just happened to be dating her youngest son.

It was about thirty minutes until Louis heard a knock on his door coming from the downstairs. He almost didn't hear it over the thunder and rain outside, but he was lucky he did. Louis didn't want to leave Harry out in the rain. He jogged down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He ran to the door and swung it open, to see a very damp Harry. The only thing covering his head was a snap back from his University, jamming his wet curls to his head.

"Shit, Harry, sorry." Louis said, ushering him inside. Harry kicked off his wet boots by the door next to Louis' pair of toms. He never realized how tiny his feet were, and how he was able to fit in his boots.

"It's alright, babe." Harry gave him a kiss on the forehead, above the pair of glasses that were resting on his face. It had been quite a while since he saw Louis wear them, and he really liked it. "You look adorable in your glasses, by the way."

Louis blushed, swiping the fringe across his face, "Thanks, but you look adorable all the time."

"Shhh," Harry hushed, moving into the younger boy, "You look adorable all the time too, but I especially like you with glasses."

"I didn't know my bad eye sight was a cute thing." Louis leaned his head back as Harry nuzzled his nose into his neck.

"Trust me, it is." Harry pulled back from his boyfriend, feeling his entire body relax.

"Come up to my room. I'd bring all my books and stuff down here but there's way too much." Louis said, biting his lip. Harry nodded, following Louis up the stairs into the hallway. They entered one of the doors, which on the side had tick marks and numbers on it. Harry smiled to himself, knowing that they were of Louis' height.

He walked around the room while Louis stood by the door, watching Harry explore his room. The first thing Harry noticed in Louis' room was the tiny pumpkin sitting on his dresser. He smiled to himself as he examined it, seeing a picture of himself and Louis laying in front of it.

"You have a picture of us in your room?" Harry asked, a large smile forming on his face.

"Well, yeah," Louis walked up behind Harry, leaning his head on Harry's shoulder, "You're my boyfriend, and I lo-like you a lot. And I need to see your pretty face when I'm not staying with you."

"Well I'm here now." Harry said, slipping his arm around Louis' waist. They melted into each other, taking in all they had of one another. Harry leaned back, looking at Louis' facial features. He'd always admired the boy from afar, but could never really take it all in at once. Peach fuzz was starting to form above his thin lips, making him look more boyish than ever. His cheekbones were high, and his eyes were the color were an astonishing baby blue color. Harry noticed little specs of jade in his eyes, like a little part of himself was nestled inside of him.

He leaned into the trembling Louis, placing his own plump limps against his thin ones. They moved in slow, rhythmic motions against each other. Chills ran through Louis' body, eager to do something, anything, with the older boy. Harry was running his large hands up and down Louis' back, until he started to move lower. His hands were now resting on his lower back, slowly inching downwards.

Louis gasped slightly, his skin heating up from the unexpected touch. He could feel himself getting shaky, nervous from Harry being so close. Of course they'd kissed before, but nothing as intimate as what was about to happen. He suddenly pulled away, making Harry stumble forward. Panic rushed through his body, not knowing what to do.

"Harry..." Louis let trail out shakily, "Are we about to-"

"If you want to." Harry said, his fingers lingering over Louis' back.

"I do, I'm just nervous. I've never...done anything," He said, fumbling with his hands. They had just discussed this earlier, but Harry didn't realize it was such a big deal to him. He cleared his throat, looking back into the other boy's green eyes, "But I want you to be the one to change that, because I love you."

The words hit Harry like a brick, they'd never said that to each other before. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved Louis too, but he never really thought about it that much to classify if he just really liked him or it was in fact, love. "I love you too, Lou." Harry said, closing the space in between them.

Louis' breath hitched as the older boy leaned in closer, his lips shaking, "Don't move." Louis gulped as Harry placed his lips on his, moving them in slow movements. Louis joined with him, melting into the embrace. He decided to be a bit more daring this time, running his hands up the inside of Harry's t-shirt. Harry put his hands back in the position they were before, sticking his thumbs through the loopholes of Louis' jeans.

He felt more content in the movements, as Harry lowered his jeans off his body. Louis shivered as they slivered down his legs, only revealing his boxers. He tried to pull away from the kiss, but was stopped by Harry sucking on his bottom lip slightly. He moaned into the kiss, Harry slowly letting go with his own lips. Louis reached for the hem of his shirt, crossing his arms, pulling it out. Harry did the same, tossing it on the floor.

"Now this isn't fair, I'm almost naked and you still have your pants on." Louis teased, checking Harry out. The curly-headed boy smirked, unbuckling his jeans.

.He had a smug look on his face, keeping Louis alert while he unzipped his pants. He almost didn't want to look, but at the same time he was eager too. Harry's hardening erection sprung free from his jeans as his pants fell to the floor. Louis went straight for the waistband of his own boxers, but Harry came forth, stopping him with his hands.

"Allow me, yeah?" He put his hands on Louis' waist, inching them down slowly. Louis winced as Harry went painfully slow in trying to get them off. When they were off, Harry stood back and admired the boy. If the was that big at sixteen, just imagine what he'd be like at Harry's age.

Louis felt insecure in Harry's gaze, as the older boy didn't say a thing. It felt like an eternity before Harry raised his emerald eyes to make eye contact with him, "You're beautiful, babe, why do you look so sad?" He asked, moving back into him.

"I-I don't know..." Louis trailed on, as Harry started kissing his neck. His lips were trailing along the bruising skin, leaving more marks down it. Small moans were escaping Louis' lips, falling into the boys grasp.

Louis turned behind him, shoving the books that were on his bed onto the floor. They fell with a loud crack, echoing throughout the room. Harry began to lay him down on the bed, hovering above him. Louis sucked in his breath, staring at the boy in front of him. He never looked as beautiful as he did right now, with his curls in his face and his expression so loving. Louis couldn't believe that the boy above him was in fact, his.

"Do you have anything?" Harry asked, a little too late. Louis shook his head, his face falling in disappointment. "Wait, I might have something in my bag," Harry got up from Louis, walking over to his schoolbag that was on the floor. He fumbled through it, finding what he needed. Harry returned back with a grunt, holding a couple packets of lube in his hands. He moved lower on Louis' body, until he was completely off the bed. "Spread your legs, babe."

Louis did what he was told, bending his legs to where they were apart. Harry got back onto the full-size bed, positioning himself in the space between Louis' legs. Harry leaned down into him, sucking on a new bruise onto his thighs. He ripped open one of the packages with his teeth, spreading the cool liquid across three of his fingers. "It's going to feel weird, but it's supposed to the first time, so don't worry, okay? I'll take care of you." Harry assured.

Putting his first finger inside of the younger boy, he listened to him wince. Harry shut his eyes, trying to make the sound of Louis' pain go away. He hated that he was hurting him, "Do you want me to stop? We don't have to."

"No, keep going." Louis breathed out, moving into Harry's touch. Harry kept going, slowly fucking Louis with only his fingers, putting more in when it was time. He wasn't completely sure that Louis was prepped, but he insisted, "I'm ready now, please." Louis' voice cracked on his pleading word.

Slathering himself in the same liquid, Harry started to move closer into the smaller boy. Louis scrunched up his face, waiting for Harry to come into him. Harry hesitated for a while, teasing Louis.

"Harry..." Louis begged, his voice smaller than ever. Harry felt bad for teasing the boy, so he lingered his cock outside of the younger boy's puckered hole.

"I don't want you hurt you." Harry said.

"You can't love without being hurt. Just do it, please." Louis sounded like he was going to cry, and he probably was.

Harry gave in, thrusting slowly into the boy. He whimpered out in pain during the first couple thrusts, but then got used to it. Harry murmured sweet nothings into Louis' neck as he left more bruises on his neck.

Louis' cried out the first time Harry hit his prostate, since the feeling wasn't familiar to him. He clutched his hands into the sheets below him, his knuckles turning white. After the third or fourth time, it started to feeling good to him.

Harry reached for Louis' throbbing cock, pumping it as he thrust into him. Louis moaned along with Harry, circling himself into the thrusts.

The feeling of Harry so full inside of him made Louis' head spin. "You're so tight, babe." Harry said, Louis barely being able to make out what he said.

His brain was absolutely scattered as Harry fucked him. The only thing Louis was focused on was the boy above him, holding him in his large hands as he thrust.

"You're _mine_." Harry grunted out, leaning down and kissing Louis on his fringe. Louis tried to respond to him, but he couldn't focus. All he saw was a blur of the pale boy and his curly hair and-oh God, his beautiful green eyes. Louis was pretty sure tears were welling up in his eyes, half from the pain of his first time and half from the sight of Harry's lovely physique on top of him.

Harry saw the flushed boy beneath him, knowing he probably couldn't last any longer. And he was right, Louis could feel his orgasm building up in his tummy, his breaths getting shorter. His head was circling as he got out a breathy sentence, "H-Harry, 'm about to-" Louis didn't even finish his sentence before he came, spurting streaks of white liquid over both of their stomachs.

If Louis thought he was overwhelmed before, he was wrong. He took in the last few thrusts before Harry was filling Louis up with his own cum. Harry gave on last lazy push, pulling out of the younger boy. His cum dripped out of Louis' hole as he pulled out.

Harry looked at the boy beneath him, who was absolutely wrecked. His usually neat hair was going in all different directions and was stuck to his forehead from the sweat.

"What did it feel like, babe?" Harry asked, laying next to Louis on the bed. Louis didn't answer, his eyes fluttering every few seconds, still riding off his high. His mind was absolutely gone, blown from his first experience.

"Like nothing I ever felt before," Louis said, turning to Harry, "It was the best thing I've ever done."

"You were the best thing I've ever done." Harry said cheekily, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"You're too cute," Louis said, pushing his head into Harry's chest, "What was your first time like?"

Harry bit his lip, "I don't remember it."

"Why?" Louis asked quickly, not thinking, "Sorry, I shouldn't of-"

"It's okay," Harry insisted, "It was in freshman year of college. I don't remember who it was or what happened, I just remember I felt really bad the next morning. I wanted it to be special, you know?" Louis nodded. "At least I got to make yours special." Harry picked up Louis' hand, intertwining it with his own.

"It definitely was. At least you'll remember it, right?"

"Always, babe. I want to remember everything with you, and I want to keep making more memories like this."

"Do you think we'll stay together?" Louis said, in almost a whisper.

"Of course, we'll make it work." Harry flipped Louis around, pulling his bum into his crotch, spooning him.


	14. fourteen

Louis looked in the mirror one last time, admiring his costume. He straightened out the green fabric beneath him, making sure he didn't have any wardrobe malfunctions. He'd found the costume a few days earlier at a costume store near the University. The idea for it was stuck in his mind, as he remembered one night in bed Harry told him he look a bit like Peter Pan. Louis knew that the costume party at the fraternity house was coming up, and of course Harry had invited him. Plus, him and Harry had made planes this Halloween to go trick-or-treating togther. He went to the party store in search of the perfect Peter Pan costume, and he found it. Now here he was, wearing green tights and a tiny hat with a red-colored feather plucked inside of it.

Slipping on his brown boots, he was reading to go. Louis gave himself one last glance in the mirror, adjusting his fringe under his hat before venturing out of the room. His mother was standing outside the door, him almost crashing into her. "Where exactly are you going tonight?" She asked abruptly.

"Just out, trick-or-treating. Maybe to a party." Louis panicked, not knowing what to say. His mother didn't know much about the parties he'd been to, and he didn't know how she would react.

"Be home before morning this time, alright?" His mum said coldly, giving him a kiss on the cheek before returning to her bedroom.

Louis sighed out a breath of relief, making his way downstairs and out the front entrance. Harry was outside, leaning against his silver car. Louis gasped when he saw his costume-or lack thereof. His hair was slicked back into a quiff, but a little headband with kitten ears sat on top of it. His nose was painted pink with lines coming out by the sides of it. He was dressed as a kitten.

Harry felt like he was going to explode when he saw Louis in his Peter Pan costume. He looked as dainty and boyish as ever, dressed in the tight neon green clothing. Harry couldn't wipe the growing smile off his face as he watched his boyfriend walk towards him.

"You took me seriously when I started calling you kitten." Louis said, stopping right in front of Harry. He smiled down at Louis, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Looks like I gave you some inspiration, also." Louis blushed as Harry admired his costume.

"Don't get too cheeky. Now let's go." Louis nudged, getting into the passenger side of Harry's car.

Harry ducked into the drivers side, putting the key in the ignition. "I'm going to be twenty-one in February, I can't believe I'm going trick-or-treating." He said, putting his hand on top of Louis' thigh.

"Oh hush, you know you want to." Louis teased, putting his hand over Harry's.

"Only for you, Lou." Harry smiled.

The two drove downtown to the nearest neighborhood, parking Harry's car at the firehouse where several parents left their own cars. They walked up and down the streets, stopping at the houses with their porch lights on. They'd ring the doorbells and wait for someone to answer, usually a happy mother or a bored teenager on the recieving end. They'd gotten many compliments on their costumes, saying they were creative and they somewhat fit their first impression of personalities. Some girls even got a bit too close to one of the boys, making the other jealous. But after they went on their way, the jealous one would always make sure to show some type of affection towards the boy getting hit on.

Harry was the one that got hit on the most, and Louis wasn't surprised. He looked absolutely adorable with his little pink whiskers and the headband sitting atop of his curls, but Louis himself didn't look that bad either. He looked charming in his feathered hat and green clothing, which girls found more cute than sexy. Louis didn't mind though, he had Harry and he didn't need anyone else's affection. But it bothered him when he saw other girls flirt with his boyfriend.

Louis grasped his hand as they turned from one particular house, where a blonde girl at the door was flirting with Harry like crazy. Louis was always a jealous-type with everything. Whether it was with a crush or a something as pertinent as a music artist, he was always getting jealous. When it came to Harry though, he was insane about it. Harry was the first thing he could really call his, and he hated when other people got the affection that he wanted. It sounded selfish, but it was the truth.

"Harry, do you really love me?" Louis asked, Harry not expecting the question.

"Of course I love you, Lou. Why would you even ask that?" Harry said, circling his thumb over Louis' knuckles.

"I don't know, I just saw those other girls flirting with you and it made me think that you could have someone else so much better." Louis said insecurely. Harry stopped walking and stood in front of him.

"You're absolutely perfect to me, babe. None of those girls back there and quite frankly anyone else in this universe could replace you, okay?" Harry assured him, looking deep into his eyes. Louis melted from the feeling of Harry's hands on his shoulders.

"Okay." Louis said lamely, letting Harry lead him back to his car. The weather was changing dramatically, frost forming at the bottom of windows even though it was only October. Their was a crisp breeze, not too cold but enough to keep things on the cooler side. The discolored leaves were almost all off the trees, lacing the sidewalk and crunching beneath Louis and Harry's feet as they trudged back to his car. They took admiration to the decorations outside of people's homes, along the likes of skeletons and blow-up ghosts.

Louis let his mind wonder, thinking that maybe one day him and Harry would be putting up their own Halloween decorations. They would be well into their twenties, maybe even by then they could get married and have a child or two. Louis loved children, and he'd always wanted a couple kids of his own. He would dress them up in matching costumes and they'd all go out together, taking in all the new sights and getting loaded with candy.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, nudging his boyfriend on the arm. Louis flustered, snapping out of his thoughts of his and Harry's future.

"Us." Louis said, giving the smile that drove him crazy. The one where his grin was so wide that his eyes crinkled up by the sides.

"Well, what about us?" Harry wanted to know exactly what he was thinking. He was always like that with people, he loved knowing what they thought of. He was quite nosy, which ended up getting him in a lot of trouble in the past.

"Will you think I'm silly if I tell you?" Harry shook his head, waiting for Louis to speak again, "I don't know, I was thinking about our future. If we do end up staying together for a long time. It might not happen, well I hope it happens, but I was thinking that maybe one day one of these houses could be ours. We could be putting up our own decorations and have our own kids to take out and we could-"

Harry kissed him to stop his rambling. Louis stumbled back from the unexpected kiss, Harry catching him from his fall. "Sorry to stop you, it's just that no one has ever said anything so sweet to me. I thought I'd get a cavity or something if you kept talking."

"You're so cheesy." Louis teased, poking Harry in the side.

"But you love me." Harry said, dimples deepening into his smile.

"Yes I do." Louis said, standing on his tip-toes to peck him on the cheek.

-

"Where in the actual fuck is Harry?" Liam asked, throwing his phone down onto his bed. He put his hands on his hips in a frustrated matter, looking like a pouting pre teen girl who didn't get her way. That's what he was acting like also. Niall shrugged his shoulders from his bed, shoving an entire cupcake into his mouth.

"Dunno, mate." Niall's voice was bland, loud smacks coming from his mouth. Liam sighed, picking up his phone and tossing it when he saw the blank lock screen. People were starting to fill up the house for the Halloween party tonight, and Harry was supposed to be back at the house a half hour ago. Liam needed him back to run some errands, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss him. He'd barely seen him in weeks, since he was always 'out' and 'busy'.

"If anyone would know, it would be you." Liam snarled.

"The hell is that s'posed to mean?" Niall asked, swallowing down his cupcake and standing up from his bed.

"You know him a lot better than I do, and you know his whereabouts."

"So what if I do? Why do _you_ need to know everything?" Niall felt his body heating up in anger, "Just because you're the president of the house doesn't mean you control everyone in it! Haven't you noticed that we're tired, Liam? That Harry literally needs to sneak around all the time to do what he wants? You act like a fucking psychopath whenever you don't get your way. Well guess what? Not everything is about you." Niall said, stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Liam was absolutely stunned, not expecting Niall of all people to crack.

Liam was so...so _angry_. How could Niall betray him like this? They were supposed to be best friends. Then he remembered that it had always been Harry and Niall that were inseparable, not Liam and Niall. He didn't know why that made him so angry, to think of Niall putting Harry first. Liam literally softball pitched his phone to the floor, hearing it land with a thud and a shatter. All he wanted to do was break something. To destroy anything in his path.

And one person he could always destroy was Zayn. Liam had gotten into contact with him recently, inviting him to the house when no one else was there for a quick fuck or two. Then he'd send him on his way, without talking to him for days until he needed him again. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he had to make himself feel better somehow. Zayn obviously didn't want to be used by Liam, and all he wanted was for him to properly like him. That was never going to happen, since Zayn was so much younger than Liam. Wouldn't it be weird to date someone so much younger?

Liam retrieved his now-shattered phone from the floor, tapping the screen a couple times to get the buttons working. He searched desperately through his contact list for Zayn, tapping on the call button. He answered after about three rings, his raspy voice on the other line.

"Aye Liam." He said coldly. Liam heard papers shuffling in the background and a sigh escape Zayn's lips.

"Hey, it's short notice but do you want to come to a party tonight? It's a costume party, but you don't have-"

"I'd rather not, thanks." Zayn's voice was still monotone as he spoke choppily.

"Are you okay?" Liam asked, sitting down on his bed.

"Just tired of being used, that's it." There was a slight pause of silence from Zayn's line, filled with a gasp from Liam, "I'm pretty much done with you, sorry."

The line went dead, and Liam couldn't believe what he was hearing. He'd always had a spell on Zayn, making him do anything he pleased. Why was it that all of a sudden he was acting so cold?

Liam felt a teardrop escape his eye, rolling down his cheek. He wiped it off carefully, looking in the mirror to make sure he didn't mess up any of his costume make-up. He went this year as a vampire, which took a lot more work than he'd expected. He had to use a shit-ton of white makeup to make his tan skin appear vampire-like, plus the dark makeup for his eyes. He looked good earlier, but now he wasn't so sure. He gave himself a look in the mirror, seeing that he still looked presentable.

Sighing, Liam left his bedroom and walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the party. The girls were dressed skimpily, grinding up against guys in basic costumes. He spotted Niall with a group of girls dressed like nurses and policemen, sloshing their drinks in their cups and displaying themselves inappropriately. Liam looked away, realizing this way exactly what Niall was talking about earlier. He leaned against the railing with his chin in the palms of his hands, observing the party-goers below.

The front entrance opened and a short boy dressed in green walked in, followed by a guy in all black with kitten ears. Liam snapped up, recognizing Harry. If he wasn't mistaken, he was with the same guy that he snogged at the masquerade party. Liam jogged down the stairs, shouting Harry's name. He watched as horror replaced the smitten look on his face as Liam approached him.

"Hi." Harry said, shuffling his feet. He nonchalantly searched the crowd for where Louis had darted off too.

"Who were you with?" Liam asked, biting his lip.

"I don't have time for this." Harry broke away from Liam, pushing past the dancing people in search of Louis.

Liam was royally pissed now, his skin prickling with sweat. He felt the room dizzying around him, the flashing lights and thumping music was starting to become too much for him. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, walking towards the bar at the back of the room. Niall was seated at one of the stools, with a girl dressed as a doctor sitting in his lap. Liam tensed up, avoiding contact with the boy.

"Scotch on the rocks with a twist." Liam said lazily, plopping down a couple seats from Niall. He watched as people came and went, even Harry stopped by once to get drinks. Liam had to be there for an hour or two, or maybe four, but he was just drinking away his misery. The party faded around him, the music eventually stopped playing and the place became empty. The hired bartender had left, packing up his pay and leaving for the night. But Liam was still sitting in the bar-stool, drunk as could be.

He sobbed for a while after the bartender had left, and he wasn't even sure why anymore. All he knew is that he was betrayed and hurt and just _tired_. He somehow managed to get up from the stool and up to his bedroom, only tripping on his feet a couple times while doing so. He climbed into the closest bed he could find, cuddling up with whoever was sleeping there.

Liam drifted off after a couple seconds, his mouth hanging open and the smell of alcohol reeking out. Niall woke up to someone clinging onto him, almost flipping Liam off the bed.

"What the hell?" He whisper-yelled, looking over at the piss-drunk boy. Niall groaned, going to shove Liam off the bed, but then he stopped himself. "Fuck, fine." He muttered, climbing over Liam and off the bed. Through the moonlight, he saw that Harry's bed was occupied by two bodies, as usual. He flopped himself into Liam's bed, pulling the covers up to his neck. He wasn't going to move Liam, since he was drunk and asleep. So Niall slept in Liam's bed for the night, while Liam occupied his.


	15. fifteen

 The next morning was dreadful. Liam woke up with a massive headache, like someone had bashed him behind the head with a bat. He also woke up in Niall's bed, which he found rather strange. He was awake rather early, the digital clock on Niall's end table reading that it was only six in the morning, and he sure as hell wasn't getting up. Liam layed in bed until he heard Niall stirring around about an hour later. When the sound of footsteps filled the room, Liam decided to talk.

"Hey Niall?" He asked quietly, careful not to wake Harry up.

Niall turned towards him, red sleeping lines covering his face and his usually neat hair was a mess. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry." Was the only thing he could think to say to Niall. He didn't know exactly what he was sorry for, but he just felt remorse eating him up on the inside.

"I know." Niall whispered as he closed the bathroom door behind him. Liam listened to the sound of the toilet flushing and the shower water hitting the bottom of the tub, along with Niall's heavenly singing. It was Liam's favorite sound of the morning, for some reason Niall's singing picked up his spirits. The boy had talent, but he'd never consider himself a singer. If he knew that any of the other boy's had heard him, he'd pass out.

Right on queue, movement was heard from Harry's bed. He was usually the last one of the boys to get up, either Niall's singing waking him up or Niall himself having to shake him to consciousness. Liam's ears were filled with the creaking of Harry's bed, and he wondered if he should make him known of his presence or not. He watched Harry stretch his head back towards his own empty bed.

"Not here," He murmured, then Harry squinted over at Niall's bed, seeing a body in there, "Niall must of had someone over last night." He finishes. Liam wonders who he's talking to, if he's talking to anyone at all.

"Why am I not surprised?" A more feminine voice said, and Liam could swear he knew it. But he couldn't make any assumptions since the two were talking so low.

"Well maybe since it's just us..." Harry whispered, and Liam was sure someone else was in the bed with him.

"Such a cheeky bastard!" The other person laughed. Liam groaned from Niall's side of the room, pressing his bare feet against the wooden floor. He ran his hands over his pants, feeling that his clothes from the night before were still on.

Harry and Louis immediately stopped laughing as Liam padded over to his nightstand. "Morning, Haz." He said politely while he twisted the cap off a bottle of pills.

"Hey, Li. Didn't know you were here." Harry said, covering Louis' mouth as he giggled.

"Yeah. Not gonna get much done today." Liam poured about five pills into his hand, swallowing them dry.

"Came in late last night, wouldn't be surprised." Harry cleared his throat, moving himself on top of Louis so he wouldn't be seen, "Everything okay?"

"Uh-I guess, yeah," Liam choked out, slipping off his jeans and putting on a pair of sweats, "I just need a day to relax, yaknow?"

"Don't we all." Harry said, watching as Liam plopped down into his bed. He let out a groan before restlessly pulling the blankets over his head.

Louis panicked underneath Harry, giving him a look of alarm. Harry shrugged his shoulders, getting out of his bed. "Liam?" Harry asked, waiting for a response. After a couple minutes of not getting one, he decided it was safe for Louis to uncover himself. "Let me take you home before he wakes up again." Harry says, letting Louis stay in his usual pair of sweatpants that he borrowed from Harry. He agreed, slipping on a pair of Harry's converse and exiting the dorm room. Harry came out right behind him with a beanie slapped over his head and his cell phone tucked between his fingers.

"How about I walk you home?" Harry asked, resting his arm above Louis' bum while guiding him down the stairs.

"I'd like that, yeah." Louis looked up at Harry, and he never really saw how tall he was in comparison.

The walk home was like all their others, filled with rude comments and chattering teeth. Harry gave Louis a kiss at the door, telling him he'd give him a call. And then he was off, walking back to his dorm.

\--

Niall exited the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He was still singing whatever he could think of at the top of his lungs. He'd gotten plenty of responses, most of them being tired banging on the walls telling him to quieten down. It was pretty early in the morning, but he didn't care, he was feeling great about himself. Niall always was in a good mood after parties.

Liam on the other hand, usually felt tired, but relieved. He was the mastermind behind the parties, most of the time, and couldn't wait until they were over. He spent a couple of days preparing for the party that by when it came time for it to actually happen, he was bored of it. Parties used to be his favorite part of the college experience until he was behind the creative process, now it was just tiring.

Only catching a few minutes of sleep, Liam's eyes blinked awake, to see Niall standing at his dresser. He was completely naked, his bare ass and the back of his head facing towards Liam. His singing was still obnoxiously loud, sending sharp pains through Liam's already-pounding head. "Do you mind?"

Niall jumped, smacking his knee into the drawer, "Son of a bitch, Liam. I thought you asleep."

"Not with that singing I wasn't." He said miserably, pulling the blankets back over his head.

Niall slammed the drawer, putting his boxers over his bum, "My singing is a beautiful, sorry that I actually have talent."

Liam let out a light scoff, poking his almost bald head out from the covers, "I'm a better singer than you and you know it."

"Bullshit!" Niall laughed out, fixing his shirt in the mirror. Liam laughed along with him, and then things became silent. Niall watched as Liam closed his eyes, taking him in. If he looked passed Liam's usual grumpy self, he was a really nice guy. Plus, he wasn't that bad-looking either. Niall always admired his chocolate colored eyes and his puppy-like features compared to his own angelic ones.

"Hey Niall?" Liam asked for the second time this morning. Niall wasn't sure if he was seeing things or not, but it looked like a tear slipped from his eye.

"Yes?" Niall responded.

"Tell Harry I'm sorry too," Liam's voice cracked and he let out a sniffle, "Now let me sleep." Niall tried to answer him, but the only thing that came out was a squeak.

"Sweet dreams, Liam." Niall said, leaving the bedroom. As he closed the door behind him, he saw Harry coming in through the front entrance. He took this as the perfect opportunity to tell him what Liam had just told him. "Harry! I need to talk to you."

"Okay." Harry said. His white skin was flushed, Niall assuming that it was from the cold air outside, when it was really from the quickie he and Louis had back at his house. Niall led him into the empty dining room, sitting in one of the chairs across from where Harry had seated himself.

Niall hesitated, gathering his thoughts before saying anything. When he finally spoke, Harry was already texting on his phone-Louis probably on the other end. "I think we should cut Liam some slack." He said abruptly.

Harry gave Niall an odd look, setting his phone down on the table and clearing his throat, "Why?"

"I don't know, he's just under a lot of pressure."

"I know this." Harry spat out, his voice more venomous than he intended, "Sorry."

"'s fine. But, I don't know, I was just thinking about stuff." Niall lied, biting his lip.

"I bet Liam convinced you to have this talk with me somehow." Harry squinted at the Niall, "You can't lie to me, Niall, I've known you for too long."

"Well, not exactly-"

"But he still told you, right?" Harry asked, his eyes beaming through Niall. When he didn't get a response, he shrugged, "Thought so."

"Harry-" Niall started, getting up from his seat.

"Save it, Niall." Harry threw his hands up into a shrug, walking away from him. He couldn't believe his best friend was choosing fucking _Liam Payne_ over him. It made no sense at all to him, and he had to find out why on earth he would disagree with him so Liam could be happy.

Niall sat there, stunned, as he watched his best friend walk away from him. He didn't quite understand what exactly he did wrong. All he did was try and make things less intense between Liam and Harry, which would have to happen eventually if Harry was going to take his place.  Niall sighed, removing himself from his seat and walking out of the dining room. The house was still quiet, tension clearly in the air around him. It seemed like the whole house had fallen apart within the last few weeks, and it was mostly because of Harry.

He went back up to his bedroom, seeing that Liam was now awake. He laid still in his bed, staring up at the almost-dark ceiling, "Did you talk to Harry?"

Niall nodded, biting his lip, "Yeah, rather not talk about it though."

"Ah, that bad?" Liam asked, sitting cross-legged now and patting the spot next to him.

"I think it's safe to say he's not talking to me now." He laughed out, trying to hide the sad fact behind the statement.

Liam's jaw dropped, "Are you serious? What's his problem lately? He's been so distant and ignorant towards everyone here."

Niall knew what Liam was saying wasn't true, since he was the only person Harry had ever been rude to up until today. "It's just because he's dating someone knew."

"Who is it?" Liam said almost too quickly. He'd always been someone to be interested in the who's-dating-who and the latest gossip around campus.

Niall hesitated, "I don't think I should say, he wanted to keep it on the down low."

"Come on, you can tell me _anything_ , Niall." Liam enclosed the space between him and Niall, the smell of alcohol wafting off of his lips.

"No, really, I don't think I should..." He said, giving it a second thought. Niall wanted so badly to get revenge on Harry for ditching him, but he just couldn't.

Liam realized that he'd have to break down his walls a little more. He knew for a fact that he intimidated Niall, so this was his chance to use that against him, "Niall, I'm your best friend now. And best friend's share everything, right?" He said, running his hand through Niall's feathery blonde hair. Shivers went down his spine from Liam's cold hands brushing against the top of his head.

"I know, I trust you, but..." Niall got up from the bed, "It's just too much right now. Maybe later, okay?" He assured him, watching his face fall.

"Uh, yeah, okay. I was just expecting more from you." Liam said, crushing Niall a bit on the inside. If it was one thing that he hated, it was making people dissappointed in him.

"I promise Liam, I'll tell you later, just not now..." Niall trailed off, giving him a thumbs up.

"Okay." Liam said blankly, giving Niall a forced smile. In the back of his mind, he knew for a fact that he would get that secret out of Niall, one way or another.


	16. sixteen

The days came and went, numbering off like the dropping temperature. Louis and Harry's relationship grew stronger, and the two of them soon became "Louis and Harry". The relationship was still on the down low, but a couple people knew about them being a couple. Louis had told his mother, who was absolutely ecstatic for him. She couldn't believe her son managed to snag someone as gorgeous and wise as Harry Styles, and she just fell in love with the idea of them being together. On the flip side, she was a little worried about Harry being too old for Louis. They were five years apart, which was quite a big difference for two people as young as they were. Nonetheless, she took the relationship for what it was and gave it her full support.

Thankfully, Niall still hadn't spilled the beans to Liam. Liam was playing Niall like a fiddle, giving the boy the attention that he was now lacking. Him and Harry still weren't on great speaking terms, only talking when they were inside the dorm room. They barely even acknowledged each other's existence anymore, besides the fact that they did share a room. Things were still the same between Louis and Zayn, and it seemed like both of the boys had lost who they were closest to, besides each other of course.

The month of November had flown by, filled with days that Louis and Harry spent together. They barely left each others sides, and when they did, things just felt _wrong_. Louis had never been in love before so this was all so surreal to him, but Harry knew the feeling once or twice. With Louis though, it felt stronger and _right_.

So now, it was halfway through the month of December. The snow was slowly falling to the ground in the moonlight, frosting up the windows as the temperature dropped. As the days got colder, so did Louis. He was still doing absolutely terrible in school, and as much as Harry tried to help him, he just didn't get it anymore. He'd let himself fall so far behind that he wasn't even trying anymore, and that killed Harry inside. He hated knowing that he was the reason for Louis failing.

One night as they cuddled up by the fire at Louis' house, Harry decided to bring up the subject. "Lou, are you okay?" He asked, not knowing what else to say. He was getting distant, and Harry was starting to see the far-off look in his eyes. It scared him, honestly.

Louis didn't respond immediately, squeezing his eyes shut before answering, "Why do you have to bring this up so often?"

"I'm worried about you." Harry ran his fingers through his feathery fringe.

"You don't have to worry about me." He said, his voice getting lower than usual. Harry furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding why he was getting so mad.

"All I did was ask you a question. I love you, Louis, and I want to know why you seem so distant lately." Harry confessed, standing up from the couch they were resting on. Louis burried his head into a throw pillow next to him, sighing out a long breath.

"It's fine, everything's fine. Don't worry about it." He said, his voice cracking.

"Everything's not fine, I know you too well. Please, tell me," Harry sat back down next to him, rubbing his back, "Please."

Louis didn't say anything for a while, just pushing himself into the throw pillow. Harry was pretty sure that he was crying now, his back raising up in heaving sobs. "Whatever it is I can fix it, I promise."

"But you can't fix it!" Louis said, removing himself from the pillow. His eyes were glassy and his eyelashes were soaked with tear droplets. Harry quickly went to wipe the tears that were spilling from his eyes and onto his cheeks.

"Of course I can't, you're not telling me anything." Harry choked out, wanting to cry himself after seeing Louis like this. Louis sniffled, then breathed out heavily and crossed his eyes. Harry felt his heartbeat quicken as he noticed that he'd picked up on one of his habits.

"Ever since me and Zayn stopped talking, he's told everyone some pretty nasty shit about me. It's kind of hard to focus in class when you have twenty people whispering about you and calling you a whore." Louis said blatantly, wiping a stray tear from his cheek.

"Oh, Lou..." Harry trailed on, his voice coming out in only a whisper. "If he's doing that, then he wasn't ever a good friend at all. And all those other kids are just losers who's lives are too pathetic, okay? No matter what they say, you're still perfect to me." Harry assured him, kissing his eyelids.

"I love you, Harry." Louis said, pulling his boyfriend into his arms.

"I love you, too. Now promise me you won't let anyone hurt you anymore, and if they do, I'll have to take care of them myself." Harry giggled out, releasing Louis and watching him fluster and look down at his lap.

"I promise." Louis said, looking up at Harry with a smile. He pulled him in for a kiss, sweet and slow. They rested back onto the couch, Louis wrapped up in Harry's arms. The only audible sound was the crackling of the fire and their breathing. Louis and Harry enjoyed nights like this a lot, where they could be alone and quiet, just enjoying each others company. Plus, Louis was still a little jittery after confessing that to  
Harry. He felt better that it was off his chest, but then again he didn't want him to know about it.

  
Things got better after that night, Louis confronting Zayn and telling him to lay off. After almost getting decked in the face, Zayn decided it was in his best interest to but a stop to the rumors. Louis' mood also improved, his genuine smile and the twinkle in his eyes were back. Harry was extremely glad because seeing his boyfriend miserable for all that time made him melancholy also. Two weeks had passed in a wintery blur, and it was now the night before Christmas. Louis' mom had told him to invite Harry over to help put up the tree, and Louis was ecstatic. Him and his mother had grown closer, while she and Liam had became distanced. Everything had dramatically changed over the last few months, both for the better and worse.

So here they were, standing in Louis' living room. The record player was playing the holiday music channel, the candles flickering and burning all around the room. The giant box that contained the Christmas tree was pressed up to the wall, open enough to where Harry could grab the instructions. They sat cross-legged on the floor, warming up their hands with mugs of hot chocolate as Harry tried to interpret the instruction guide. He flipped it in all different directions with a baffled look on his face, finally passing it to Louis.

"Need help?" Louis joked, taking the pages from Harry's hands.

"I don't even know what I don't know." Harry laughed, uncrossing his legs and making his way towards the box. He widened the tight space, pulling out the synthetic evergreen tree parts. "Where did Jay say she wanted it?" Harry asked. He'd become accustomed to calling Louis' mum by her first name, and Louis found it adorable.

"Erm, the corner by the fireplace. We might have to move some stuff around, though." Louis tapped his chin, reading the confusing words below him. "Fuck this, let's just wing it." He acclaimed, throwing the packet onto the ground.

"I assume this is the bottom?" Harry questioned, holding up the base of the tree.

"Yes, you goofball. It's the only thing that doesn't have leaves or whatever on it." Louis said sarcastically, separating the different tree parts. He organized them by size as Harry watched. Within seconds, he had the entire tree planned out. "I think this is the right order."

"Now let's get this baby up!" Harry exclaimed, clapping his hands together and diving for the first part of the tree.

Louis yawned into his hand, pretending to be bored, "How about you take on this task? I'll observe." He said, plopping onto the couch behind him. Harry rolled his eyes, screwing the first part of the tree onto the bottom. Within ten minutes, the entire tree was up. The only thing left to do was the fun part: decorating.

Louis stood up from the floral couch, walking lazily over to the tree, "This is my time to shine-literally." Louis laughed, ripping the tape off the cardboard box on the coffee table. Inside were all of his family's tradition Christmas decorations, like ornaments and tinsel. Glitter from the decorations went everywhere, and Harry understood what Louis meant now. He helped unbox the ornaments, handing them off to Louis as they worked like a machine. When they were doing the tinsel, Harry somehow got himself wrapped in it. Louis laughed as he stumbled around, his foot caught in the silver ribbon.

It was time to put up the final decoration and the star of the show. Harry handled the sparkly gold star with care, placing it in Louis' tiny hands with ease. "I don't think I'll be able to reach it, kitten." Louis whined on the outside, but he knew exactly what he was doing.

Harry also knew what he was hinting at, so he just gave him a smirk and removed himself from the carpeted floor. "Maybe I should lift you up so you could put the star on the top of the tree."

"That would be great!" Louis grinned, his eyes twinkling in the dim light. He held out his arms, letting Harry lift him up towards his shoulders. Straining himself towards the top of the tree, Louis firmly placed it on top. Harry set him down, both of the boys stepping back to admire the tree.

"It looks beautiful." Louis gazed at the tree, then back at Harry. Harry was sporting that stare that he always gave Louis when he could feel himself falling even more into love with him.

"You look beautiful." Harry replied cheesily, putting his arm around Louis' shoulders. Louis snuggled into Harry, snaking his arm around the small of his back.

"I love you." Louis stood on his tip-toes, pecking Harry's cheek.

"I love you too."


	17. seventeen

Christmas Eve and Louis' birthday just happened to fall on the same date, making this day remarkably special. It was always his favorite day of the year, because Christmas was his favorite holiday and it was his birthday. When he was little, he also loved the fact that he got double the amount of presents that a child would get for either event. His mother had always combined the two events into one big party, but Louis told her this year he didn't want anything big. All Louis wanted for his birthday was to spend his day with Harry, but that wouldn't work out as he planned.

His mother had informed him earlier that morning that Liam would be bringing some of his friends along, which meant Harry would be coming, and Louis was panicking. Harry was going to be at his house, but he wouldn't be able to show any affection towards him since Liam was there too. Liam still had no clue about the relationship, and Louis wanted to keep things that way for a while.

It was about six in the evening now, and Louis was getting impatient. Liam-and-Co. should be arriving any minute now, taking the joy out of the night. Louis tried to enjoy himself as much as possible beforehand, snuggling up with a blanket by the fire and reading his favorite book, but nothing worked. His mood couldn't help being dampened by the presence his brother was bringing. Of course Harry would be there, but he wouldn't be there.

Right on queue, the door swung open and white snowflakes drifted into the foyer. Louis put down his book, throwing the blanket over the couch and walking towards the door. He saw Liam's almost-bald head, looking down at his coat as he fumbled with the zipper. Harry and Niall stood behind him, making Louis smile a bit. "Merry Christmas Lou, and happy birthday." Liam waltzed into the room, kicking off his shoes and pulling his brother in for a hug.

"Merry Christmas to you too." Louis said quietly, shock running through his body from the niceness of his brother.

"Happy birthday, man!" Niall exclaimed loudly, slapping his hand into Louis' and doing some type of bro hug. "It's been a while." Niall lied, giving Louis a wink as he trailed his wet footsteps across the carpet.

"I know, it's good to see you again." Louis watched the carpet dampen, afraid to do anything.

"Niall take your shoes off, you tosser." Harry joked, slipping off his back up tattered boots. Louis almost gasped, remembering Harry left his favorite pair at his house last night.

Niall laughed, slipping Harry the middle finger behind his back. Thank goodness it wasn't well-displayed, since Louis' mum appeared in the door frame coming from the sitting room. She gave Liam a kiss on the cheek and mumbled some things into his ear as she gave him a hug. Louis cocked his head, nonchalantly turning his ear in the direction of their voices and trying to hear something. He had no luck, since it was difficult to hear anything over Niall's obnoxious voice and Harry's laughter. Every time that throaty laugh came out of Harry's mouth, Louis got all warm inside.

Jay greeted Niall and Harry, pretending that she was just meeting Harry for the first time. Louis caught the little wink she gave him as she shook his hand and introduced herself. "Shit, the presents are in the trunk. Niall come help me." Liam said hesitantly, and Niall nodded and walked out the door. Louis noticed that Liam put his hand on the small of Niall's back, leading him out to the car. Once the door shut, Louis lunged for Harry, jumping into his arms.

"Happy birthday babe!" Harry yelled, swinging Louis around the foyer in his arms. He set him down, out of breath, with a smile on his face, "And Merry Christmas." Harry bopped his nose, making Louis giggle.

"Merry Christmas, yourself." Louis returned the favor, Harry sticking his face out as Louis tapped him on the nose. The door opened again and they stepped apart, taking bags and boxes from Liam and Niall. They stacked them under the tree that they put together themselves, Jay returning to the kitchen to finish preparing their dinner. When all the gifts were under the tree, Jay called everyone to the dining room to eat. Jay sat at the head of the table, Liam on the left and Louis on the right. Harry took a seat next to Louis, while Niall sat next to Liam. They all held hands as they said their prayers, and Louis got the honor of doing them this year. They talked among themselves during dinner, mostly catching up between Jay and Liam, but then getting to know Niall also. Louis and his mum acted like they had no clue what Harry was like, when in reality they could predict everything he said beforehand.

Louis hoped Liam didn't suspect a thing between him and Harry, because he was trying quite damn hard to cover things up. It was difficult to pretend like someone was a stranger when in reality they were the person who knew you the most, Louis thought. Under the table though, Louis and Harry were playing some type of footsie game, trying not to look smug when they touched.

"Louis, can you and Harry help me clean up the kitchen?" Jay asked, giving the two a sweet smile.

"Is that alright with you?" Louis turned to Harry, waiting until Niall and Liam got up from the table before he made any moves on Harry.

"Yeah of course." Harry agreed, kicking Louis in the leg under the table. Liam and Niall left their seats and exited the room hurriedly, leaving the three of them sighing out. "I thought they'd never leave." Harry said once they were out of earshot.

"While I clean up, can you two make some dessert really fast? I completely blanked out about it." Jay slapped herself in the forehead, shaking her head under her hand, "It would mean a lot to me."

Louis grinned, side-eyeing Harry, who had the same look on his face, "We'd be more than glad."

"Thank you so much, baby." Jay hugged Louis, then Harry, and shooed them off to the kitchen. They closed the kitchen door, looking through to make sure they were safe. Once the door was closed, Harry literally pulled Louis into him, kissing him on the lips. Louis wrapped his arms around his back, running his hands along the plaid fabric of his button-down. Harry rested his hands above Louis' bum, pushing roughly on his mouth. Without warning, Harry slipped his tongue through the line of Louis' lips. Louis let him, running his own tongue around Harry's. Louis broke away from the kiss, out of breath.

"I've been waiting all night to kiss you." Harry said cheekily, his hand still laced around Louis' waist.

"And I've been waiting all night for you to kiss me like that." Louis stood up on his tip-toes, kissing Harry on the cheek, "Now seriously, we need to make something for dessert."

"Like what?" Harry asked quickly without thinking, then he got an idea, "Wait! We could make a cake for your birthday."

"Never made a cake for my own birthday before." Louis laughed, opening the pantry and finding a box of cake mix. He grabbed _his_ favorite type, since it was _his_ birthday, and a tub of frosting. Louis got out all of the necessary ingredients while Harry waited by the counter. He lined them all up, yelling out orders to Harry as he preheat the over and stirred the batter.

"Be controlling more often, it's hot on you." Harry bit his lip, whisking the cake batter harder.

Louis cocked his eyebrow, leaning into Harry, "You like it, don't you?" He purred.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Harry nudged him, flicking batter off the whisk. The batter landed on Louis' new sweater, which was thankfully creme-colored to match the batter.

"You're so lucky that blended in." Louis licked his thumb, scooping the batter off of his sweater and licking it. Harry went to pour the cake mix into the pan, but Louis took it from his hands, "No, let me, this is my favorite part."

"It is _your_ birthday." Harry said sarcastically, sitting on the counter and watching Louis pour the batter into the pan. Louis carried the full pan over to the oven, opening the door and shoving it in quickly. He let out a screech, his thumb had burned on the door of the oven. "Are you okay, Lou?" Harry asks, jumping off the counter and sliding across the kitchen floor in his socks.

"Burned me finger." Louis pouts, sticking out his bottom lip and shoving his burned thumb in Harry's face.

"Aww baby," Harry whined, "If I kiss it will it make it better?"

"I guess so." Louis wailed, Harry bringing his thumb up to his mouth and leaving a small peck on it.

"How do you feel now?" Harry asked, rubbing Louis' back.

"Better now." Louis forced a smile through the pain, leaning into Harry and kissing him on the lips. It felt like the world faded away when they kissed, and the throbbing in Louis' thumb had stopped.

On the other side of the door, there was a very confused and shocked Liam. He was just coming to see what on earth was going on in the kitchen and why there was a loud shriek, but he opened the door to see something he never would of expected in a million years. He had to blink a couple of times to process that he just saw one of his best friends kissing his younger brother. He was absolutely baffled.

Shutting the door with ease, he was able to leave unseen. Thankfully they didn't notice him, or else it would of been a very awkward talk. Liam didn't even know what to think: he couldn't believe that his _brother_ had scored someone like _Harry_ , but then again he couldn't believe that _Harry_ had gone for someone like his _brother_. Louis was an absolute pest, whereas Harry was one of the greatest people he knew. Then a part of him felt betrayed, how could Harry kiss his younger brother? Wasn't that like, off limits or something?

Chills ran down Liam's spine as a horrifying thought popped into his brain. What if this _wasn't_ just a one time thing, and they were actually together? What if Louis was the one that Harry was dedicating all of his time and affection to? What if Louis was the one that Harry had completely ditched everyone for? What if Louis was the one Harry fell deeply in love with?

He shook the thoughts from his head, walking back into the sitting room. Niall was flipping through the channels on the telly. He craned his head back towards Liam, immediately seeing that something was off. His heartbeat quickened, "Everything okay?"

Liam just nodded his head back and forth, plopping down on the floral couch near Liam, "I just...I just saw...something." Liam trailed on, not even wanting to speak the words coming out of his mouth.

Niall was scared to know what he was talking about, but he felt like he had some idea. "I need more information than that, Liam."

"I saw Harry kissing Louis." Liam said, his voice sounding like lightening. Niall's stomach sank, knowing this was exactly what he feared.

"Oh?" Was all Niall said. What else could say? He was at a loss for words.

"Is that all you're gonna say? You're not shocked at all?" Liam yelled out, standing up from the couch. Niall bit his lip, averting his eyes to the right. "Wait, did you know?" Liam said abruptly, making Niall shift in his seat. He feared this would happen, and he dreaded the day that it did.

"I may have." Niall squeaked out as he watched Liam's entire face fall, "I would've told you but I knew you it-"

"Save it Niall." Liam gulped, "You don't have to lie to me anymore."

They were interrupted by Jay's presence, and in that moment Liam wanted to out Louis right then and there, but he didn't have the heart. He just _couldn't_.

"We were just cleaning up a bit in the kitchen, and Louis and Harry made dessert. I hope you guys like cake!" She said with a huge smile on her face. Niall returned the favor, but Liam was emotionless at the moment. His entire world had just been flipped upside down. "Let me go get them so we can open presents." Jay could feel the tension in the room, and what better way to fix it than with presents?

About five minutes later, the three of them entered the sitting room. Louis had a flustered look about his face, his cheeks reddened and a bandage on his thumb. Harry's hair was slightly messed up, poking out in different directions and his sweater was completely lopsided. Liam felt his stomach drop again at the sight, knowing that something had definitely gone on.

They all opened presents, an awkward presence lingering in the air. Most of the presents were for Louis, and he was a little disappointed when he didn't get one from Harry, but then he remembered that he'd whispered something to him in the kitchen about his present coming later, and not in front of his family.

After cake, the three boys left back for campus. Louis was now alone in the sitting room, an odd feeling in his body. He felt like things had gone wrong, and had no idea why. He wanted to know what had happened with Liam and Niall while he was in the kitchen, because they seemed very distant while opening gifts. His mother had gone to bed, since it was about midnight, but Louis was still wide awake. Maybe it was from the excitement of his birthday or from the anticipation of Christmas the next morning, or maybe it was the foul emotion that had waved over him.

Whatever it was, he just wanted it to be _over_.


	18. eighteen

Liam had kept the whole thing a secret for a while. He often questioned Harry on his whereabouts, watching him stutter under his speculation. Liam was almost certain that the kiss was more than just a kiss. Things started making sense: he was baffled for months on who Harry's love interest was, and why he was so _sneaky_ about it.

He started picking up on things that he hadn't previous to seeing them kiss. Liam started staying up later, pretending he was asleep, to see if he could catch any conversation between Harry and Niall, when he found out that Louis had been sneaking into the fraternity house late at night. He wanted to take a dive for the window when they started to talk and cuddle, and god forbid, when they would kiss. Liam felt horrified when he thought that this could of been going on for a long time and he had _no idea_.

So Liam came up with a plan, an evil one at that.

It was a chilly day in early January when Liam found the perfect opportunity, cornering Harry in their dorm room after Niall had left for class. He shut the door, stopping Harry from exiting the room. Liam wanted to puke, knowing that he was probably leaving to go see Louis. He had on nice clothes and a shit ton of cologne, and he never did that unless there was someone to impress.

"Hello, Harry." Liam said, his smile explicitly wide. Harry gave him an odd look, his eyes following Liam's arm that was holding the door closed.

"Um, hi. I have somewhere I-"

"This is more important, and I'm sure you'll want to hear this." Liam winked, interrupting Harry, "Have a seat, will you?" Liam pulled out a desk chair, forcing Harry by his shoulders to sit down. Harry was almost positive that he'd have some sort of bruise there tomorrow.

"What the fuck, Liam? Are you on drugs?" Harry asked rudely, the pressure of Liam's hands tightening around his shoulders.

"I could ask you the same thing." Liam ripped his hands from Harry's shoulders, pacing the room with his index finger tapping his chin.

Harry looked at him, completely confused, "Are you trying to drug bust me, because I can assure-"

"Stop talking. Let me speak." Liam's voice was harsh, shutting Harry up immediately, "I know, Harry."

Harry's heart started pounding against his rib cage, and he was certain that it would pop out any minute, "And what would that be?" He asked bravely.

"Oh, I think you should be able to figure this out yourself." Liam's voice was oozing sarcasm. Harry felt dizzy, his head aching with fear. He didn't want it to be true, but deep down he knew that Liam _knew_. He knew about him and Louis. But he wasn't going to give in so easily.

"Refresh my memory." Harry said coldly, crossing his legs.

Liam rolled his eyes, "I know about you and Louis." He finally said the words that Harry was dreading to hear. Harry wanted to fade away, to disappear so he didn't have to deal with this. Sooner or later though, he'd have to tell the truth, but he didn't think it would be so soon. Harry kept quiet as Liam's eyes burned holes through his body, the silence feeling like it lasted years before Liam spoke again, "Don't have anything to say?"

"Well what else is there to say?" Harry questioned, making full-on eye contact with Liam and setting his jaw, "I _love_ Louis, dammit, and you can't do anything to change that. I don't care if you're his older brother or not, if you could even call yourself that." Harry replied rudely, watching Liam's face turn into pure shock, then back to his disgustingly smug smile.

"Are you sure about that Harry? It's gross, and it's _illegal_. He's seventeen for god's sakes!"

"Oh shut the fuck up, Liam. You're no saint either." Harry's eyes began to water up, not believing what he wanted to say. He felt like he'd swallowed his tongue, but still wanted to keep speaking.

"Maybe I could take the presidency away, or worse comes to worse, I could tip off the school board about your little relationship." It was this exact moment that Harry was convinced that Liam was truly twisted and evil.

"And maybe I can tip them off about your extensive drug use and when you-"

"Let's not even go there, Harry." Liam panicked, wanting to shut Harry up before he said anything else, but he kept talking.

"Why not? It fucking happened and I could leak it to the board office and get you ripped right off your pretty little spot as president." Harry was royally pissed now, and even though he was shaking, he just couldn't _stop_.

"You wouldn't," Liam's voice was deep and gravelly, his face burning a deep shade of red, "You'd ruin everything, this entire house would get expelled and it would be all _your_ fault!"

"Then don't try to ruin what's mine, you don't fucking control me!" Harry yelled, jumping out of the chair and kicking it back, "I'm not giving into this, and if you try to force me like you did last time I swear to God I'll the board office. You don't own me anymore, you can't do this to me." Harry didn't even realize he was crying until his voice started coming out in choked sobs. He wasn't going to let Liam force him into things like he did-never mind.

Liam was stunned, he couldn't even think properly. How could Harry bring this up? He made a promise to Liam to never speak about it again. "Harry, I just want what's best for you."

Harry scoffed, his tears coming rapidly now, "Bullshit! If you wanted what was best for me, you wouldn't of-"

"Don't say it!" Liam said the exact same time as Harry finished, "raped me!"

Liam inhaled sharply, guilt flooding his body like a broken dam. The only sounds Liam could hear were Harry's uncontrollable sobs and and his blood rushing in his ears. "It was a stupid mistake."

"It happened more than once, it's not an accident if it happens more than once." Harry's voice was cracking, and Liam could feel his heart breaking. The memories flooded his head, where he was high off whatever someone gave him and he took advantage of Harry. The awful scenes played in his head and he shook them out.

"I apologized, I don't know what more you want." Liam's voice got lower, and Harry could swear he heard sympathy in it.

"Sorry isn't enough! I want it all to go away!" Harry started crying again, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands, "And I want you to leave me alone. Leave Louis alone. Just leave us _alone_." Was the last thing he said before rushing out of the room. He had forgotten about meeting Louis at the restaurant, and his phone read that he was almost thirty minutes late. _Shit_ , he thought to himself, checking his messages. Louis had texted him almost thirty times. Harry typed a response, probably grammatically incorrect since he still couldn't think straight.

\--

Louis was absolutely pissed with Harry. They'd made plans to meet at their favorite restaurant about a week ago, and Harry had just flat out ditched him. Louis had been sitting on the steps leading up the entrance doors for almost an hour now, only receiving one text from Harry that he couldn't quite make out. It was an apology of some sort, but the words were all misspelled and jumbled together.

Harry's car has pulled up on the curb, parked completely sideways but Louis didn't care. He got up from the steps, jogging down the concrete and over to his vehicle. Louis was about to yell at him when he realized he was crying.

"Are you okay, kitten? What's wrong?" Louis was concerned, Harry never _ever_ cried.

Harry looked at Louis with glazed eyes, tearing them away quickly and breaking into more sobs. Louis rushed over to him and wrapped him in his arms, "Baby, it'll be okay."

"Nothing's going to be okay!" Harry yelled, his voice deep and cracking like a boy going through puberty.

Louis was taken aback by the outburst of rage. "What happened? I can fix it..." Louis lied, not even sure what he was so upset about.

"It can't be fixed, it's ex post facto." Harry used a term from when he was a law student, but then he realized Louis had no clue what that meant, "Can we just eat? I'll tell you at dinner."

"Um. Yeah. I guess so. Yeah, let's go." Louis intertwines his hand with Harry's, but he notices his grip isn't as tight as usual. Harry's hand is just sort of, limp. Louis frowns as he orders a table and they sit down. Harry still looks crushed from whatever had just happened.

"Harry something's bothering you." Louis stated as he watching Harry stir the ice cubes around in his full glass. The only response Louis got was a weak shrug from Harry. "You said you'd tell me about it at dinner. Well?" Louis sighed.

"I don't even know where to start." Harry whined, and Louis felt his heart shatter. He hated seeing Harry like this. Louis watched him intently for a few minutes, words building up at his lips and he almost was spoke, but his lips shut again. "Do you remember the first time we...had sex?" He whispered the last few words.

"Of course, how could I forget?"

"Well, remember when you asked me what m-my first time was like?" Harry stuttered out, tears starting to brim his eyelids.

"Yes, why?" Louis didn't quite understand what he was getting at.

Harry's bottom lip quivered, tears escaping his eyes now, "I lied. I was-" Harry gulped, "I was-" He was trying to talk, but the last word wouldn't come out. Louis panicked, seeing that other people around them were starting to notice.

"Harry, _oh_ , Harry." Louis put the pieces together, reaching across the table for his hand. Harry wiped the stray tears and looked down.

"It's okay. It happened, its over. But that isn't the point. Liam knows." He finally said, making eye contact with Louis again. He watched as the horror filled his eyes.

"Shit, what did he say?" Louis asked, his head spinning.

"He made an ultimatum with me, either I end things with you or he'll tell the school board." Louis scoffed, smacking his hand against the table and shaking his head, "But I told him if he forced me to do that, I'd tell the school board his little secrets also."

"Fucking wanker, deserves it." Louis said, and he meant it. Then he realized something, "Wait, did you say _his secrets_?"

Harry didn't even think of how he could tell Louis that his _own brother_ was the one that raped him, let alone that he would. Louis wasn't dumb though, and Harry knew that.

"Was Liam the one who...Oh no, Harry..." Louis' voice was filled with remorse, but he felt something else at the same time. It disgusted him to think that Liam had hurt Harry, and had raped him, nonetheless.

"I'm sorry." Harry apologized.

"What the hell are you apologizing for? In no way is this your fault at all." Louis couldn't believe that Harry would even think of saying sorry to him.

"I feel like it is." Harry whimpered, tightening his grasp on Louis' hand.

"It's not, rape is never the victims fault. And we're going to get through this all together, okay? I promise." Louis said, bringing Harry's hand to his lips and kissing it.

"Pinky promise?" Harry sounded like a child, so broken and innocent, but his innocence was taken from him.

"Pinky promise." Louis said confidently, but he wasn't sure about anything at all.


	19. nineteen

Things only went downhill from there. Liam had gotten Niall to cut off all contact with Harry, and the bullies at Louis' school were only getting worse. Everything was just falling apart, except Louis and Harry themselves. The inconvenience just made them stronger.

Now it was _the_ weekend, the one that Harry had been planning for so long. This was Louis' birthday gift, so it had to perfect. Harry was upset that he couldn't get it the day of his birthday, or anywhere near it, but if it was going to be perfect, the timing wouldn't matter. And heaven knows that they needed it after the events of the past week.

Harry refused on telling Louis where they were going the whole ride there. Louis sounded like an impatient child during a long car ride, often spouting out, _are we there yet?_ and making Harry want to ram his head into the steering wheel. After about two hours, Harry pulled up to a log cabin, which made the warm feeling of winter enter Louis' stomach. It was his favorite holiday, and the looks of this place reminded him of why he loved this time of year.

"You brought me to a log cabin?" Louis asked, reaching for his duffel bag in the backseat.

"No just any log cabin," Harry hummed, kissing Louis' head as he helped him reach his bag, "It's a ski lodge! I thought I could teach you how to ice skate and ski and-"

Louis interrupted him with a kiss on the lips, "This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me. And we have the entire weekend by ourselves. No interruptions, and no twats telling us what to do." Louis finally got the heavy bag up into his lap, giving Harry the accidental look of fondness that he always got when they were together, "Plus, I get to spend it all with you."

"That was the plan." Harry winked, getting out of the drivers seat and popping the trunk. He retrieved his own luggage from the backseat and followed Louis inside the building. The lobby was just like it was pictured online: the walls were, of course, log. A fireplace burned in the back of the room, a deer mantled above it. The room was quite cozy, the furniture inviting and creme-colored. A desk was set up in front of the fireplace, a young woman standing behind it.

"I'll check us in, you can wait for me if you want." Harry said to Louis, who nodded in response and sat on one of the couches. While Harry got their room number and key card, Louis relaxed on the couch. The room smelled of cinnamon and Christmas, even though it was a week into January already. Snow was still falling in white sheets outside the large windows, and Louis pretending it was Christmas Eve again. It wasn't that hard, since decorations and a Christmas tree were still scattered across the room.

Harry retrieved the key, staggering over to Louis who was staring at the snow falling out the window. "Ready to go see our room for the weekend?"

"You mean our safe haven?" Louis joked, elbowing Harry in the side with his free arm.

"Whatever you wanna call it, babe. I got us the top floor. There's a hot tub up there." Harry waggled his eyebrows, and Louis rolled his eyes and let out a laugh. He hadn't changed one bit, Harry was still the same cheeky bastard he'd met five months ago.

Louis and Harry traveled up the elevator alone, excitingly chattering about their extended weekend at the log cabin. They may or may not be skiving off school on Monday so they could have an extra day, but hey, who would notice?

They walked hand-in-hand down the hallway that led them to their room. There weren't a plethora of rooms on the upper level, since they were supposed to be massive. Harry fumbled inside of his pocket for the key card, and shoved it into the handle. The light blinked green, gaining them access to the room. He opened the door with anticipation, revealing a large, white room with elegant furniture. It reminded the two of a house you'd find in a Christmas movie. The aroma of pine leaves and cookies wafted their noses, a tree glistening in the corner of the room by the lit fireplace.

"Harry, this is spectacular!" Louis said, wondering how he wasn't speechless. It was absolutely incredible, and it had to cost a fortune, "Why would you do all this for my birthday? It's too much."

"Because I love you, and I know how much you love all this warm, fuzzy Christmas stuff." Harry grinned from ear to ear, pecking Louis on the cheek. "So, do you want to explore this place or see if they have something for us to do tonight?"

Louis smirked and he took a stride towards Harry, "How about I explore you, and that's we do tonight?" Louis said, twisting Harry's word.

"Well, it is _your_ birthday vacation..." They're faces were almost touching now, and Harry bent down to kiss Louis. Louis tightened his grip around Harry, standing on his tiptoes to reach him better. They clashed teeth and tongues and kissed each other roughly, blindly searching the condominium for the bedroom.

The bedroom was marvelous, and lucky for them the bed was huge. Harry pushed Louis onto the bed, watching him sink into the soft mattress. He got on top of him, kissing him slower this time. Louis was fumbling with the buttons on Harry's shirt, and Harry was going straight for his zipper.

Louis wanted to ask Harry if he felt comfortable doing this, since he had just admitted that he'd gotten raped. He decided against it, thinking it would kill the mood. Plus, they'd had sex several times before and it never seemed to be a problem, right?

Harry took over the lead, slowly undressing them both. He trailed down Louis' body, his lips leaving wet kisses on his chest and torso. He stopped above his belly button, and took Louis' erection that was curling over his tummy into his hand. Harry feels Louis tense under him, shivers running through his body from the touch of his hand. 

He stroked Louis's cock for a few minutes, twisting his wrist up and down the length of it. Louis let out moans, certain that Harry gave the best hand jobs in the world. 

Louis was embarrassed by how quickly he was about to come undone, but he couldn't help it. The tension in his stomach released and spurts of white liquid pour out of his cock. 

"Do you want me to stop?" Harry asked.

"What the fuck, I'd be offended if you stopped." Louis insisted, pulling Harry down on top of him by his shoulders. Harry continued to kiss his neck and collarbones, sucking on the patches of already-sweltered skin.

Louis eyed the snap back that was holding down Harry's unruly curls, and got an idea. He huffed out, "How 'bout I ride you this time, Haz?"

Harry lifted his eyes up from Louis' chest, a devilish grin on his face. Without warning, he rolled both of them over so Louis was on top of him. "Let me guide you." Harry said, placing his hands on Louis' thighs. Louis felt his knees weaken under Harry's tight grasp against them as Louis' bum enveloped his cock.

Louis' thighs were quivering as Harry guided him up and down his cock, getting him used to motion. Louis was able to gain control quite quickly, circling his hips around as he bounced on Harry. Before Harry knew it, Louis had snatched his snap back off his head and put it on his own sweaty fringe.

"You look so fucking pretty in my hat, Lou." Harry moaned out, sliding his hands up to Louis' bum.

"Thought you'd like it." Louis moaned out, slamming himself lower onto Harry. Harry groaned, digging his nails into Louis' bum and he was sure he left marks from his nails. 

Louis felt like he was about to give out already, his knees too weak to hold him up any longer. "Harry, you're gonna have to meet me halfway." Louis yelped, rolling his head back as Harry thrust upwards into him. "Oh, oh, Harry, again, please." Louis begged, his neck exposed at Harry as his head stayed back. Harry thrust into him again, making Louis' mind cloud.

Tension built up in Louis' stomach, and he knew he was close for the second time. "H-Harry, I'm gonna cum." Louis stuttered out. His vision was becoming blurry, causing him to blink several times to get rid of the stars that he was seeing.

Harry curled his hand around Louis' cock, jerking it about four times, "Cum for me, Lou." Almost on command, his cock released the white cum all over Harry's hand and stomach. 

Not shortly after, Harry was cumming inside of Louis. Louis collapsed on top of Harry, the hat falling off of his hair. Harry scrambled to pick it back up, pushing it back onto Louis' head. "Keep it, babe. It suits you."

"I was planning on it, but thanks." Louis said, trying to catch his breath. He still was high on his orgasm, seeing only blurs of Harry in front of him. Louis ran his hands through Harry's curls, pecking him on the cheek, "So, what else do you want to do today?"

"Well, I was planning on doing that again." Harry joked, his dimple deepening a crater in the moon. "Give me ten minutes." Harry put his arms behind his head, pretending to rest his eyes.

Louis pouted, forcing his lips onto Harry's and full-out snogging him. Harry's eyes flew open, as he pushed Louis upwards, "Okay, more like two minutes."

\--

"I'm gonna fall, and you're gonna laugh at me!" Louis joked, hesitating putting on the ice skates that layed in front of him. It was his first time trying any type of skating, and he was terrified.

Harry finishing lacing up his last skate and glared at Louis, "I've told you a hundred times, I'll hold your hand when I teach you. And if you fall, I'm going down with you." Harry assured.

"But-" Louis started, getting cut off by Harry's finger that was now pressed up to his lip.

"You'll be fine. Now let me put on your skates." Harry insisted, slipping the skates over Louis' extremely tiny feet. He laced them up as Louis complained some more, worried that he'd fall and hurt himself or set off a chain reaction like dominoes. Harry tuned him out, persistently assuring him that he'd be completely fine.

Once the skates were on, Harry helped Louis get a steady balance on his feet. He remembered how hard it was his first time ice skating, but how easy it was to get the hang of. 

Louis, on the other hand, was like a deer on ice. His legs went every which way, causing him to falter and almost plummet to the ice. Harry had caught him by the arm or back and once even his side, trying to keep him upright.

After about an hour of dramatic collapses onto the ice, Louis was slowly getting the hang of it. Harry didn't have to grasp his arm like he was holding on for dear life, and Louis wasn't falling with every motion. Harry was gripping his hand now, dragging Louis across the ice as he got used to the ice beneath his feet.

A tone dinged above them, and a man on an intercom warned that it was time for a couples dance. Slow, twangy music blasted from the speakers, and multi-colored lights illuminated the rink. Harry let Louis glide into him, and he got a good grasp on him. God knows what was going to happen while they were dancing _on ice_.

They did it slow at first, holding each other's hands and spinning in a circle. Louis almost lost his balance a couple times, but Harry caught him right on queue. A couple minutes into the song, Harry put his arm around Louis' waist and put them in a regular dancing position. Louis rested his head on Harry's chest, letting him lead the way.

"Wanna try a twirl?" Harry asked excitedly, watching Louis' eyes gleam in the lights.

"I can try, but I won't do good." Louis said insecurely, looking down at the ice and catching himself. 

Harry moved their conjoined hands up, "You're learning, it's not going to be fantastic." Harry let Louis' fingers twirl on his as Louis spun in a circle, his foot popping up as he turned. He looked back at Harrt excitedly, not doing bad for a first try. "That wasn't bad at all! Sooner or later, you're going to be a pro!" Harry joked.

Louis put his head back on Harry's chest, feeling his heart beat against his ears, "Only if you continue teaching me." 

"Always will." Harry said as the song finished, and he and Louis broke apart.

"That's enough learning for today, how about we go get some hot chocolate, yeah?" Louis grinned, wanting to get the hell of this ice. He'd been embarrassed enough today to last him a lifetime.

They returned to the bench, unlacing the skates and returning them to their proper spots. The coffee shop wasn't far from the skating rink part of the hotel, only across the street. The door dinged when the walked in, the aroma of vanilla immediately hitting their noses. The joint reminded Louis of where they went on their first date, and he got a warming feeling at the pit of his stomach.

Harry ordered their usuals, carrying them over to a small table crammed by a window. Snow was falling once again, giving the entire place a winter tide feel. 

Louis warmed his chilling hands with the caramel coffee, carefully sipping it, "I love you, Harry." He said, feeling the liquid burn down his throat. He wasn't sure why he said it, but it just felt _right_. "No one would of ever thought of doing this for me, and it makes it so much better that it was you." Harry blushed, humbly looking down at his coffee. "Seriously, Haz. And hey, no one can stop us. Not Liam, not your fraternity, no one, got it? Because in the end, what's right always overpowers the wrong." 

Words kept tumbling out of his mouth and Louis had no clue why. It's like everything he wanted to say was just coming out without warning. 

"I know we will, Louis. We're going to get through this all." Harry smiled, gripping Louis' hand from the other side of the table. "We'll always get through it."


	20. twenty

Something was ringing. It was a very loud and ear-shattering ring that awoke Harry from his dreamless sleep. He yawned into the palm of his hand, lazily searching the end table of the hotel room for his phone. Harry rubbed his eyes, sliding his thumb across the 'accept' option. "Hello?" He said groggily, still in a dream state.

"Harry, I need you to get back to campus _right fucking now_." Niall said, his voice worrisome. Harry groaned, throwing his limbs over the side of the bed and exited the master bedroom of the hotel.

He closed the door quietly so Louis didn't wake up. "What's wrong?" He replied, biting at his thumb nail.

"It's Liam. I don't know what happened. I went to the pub for a couple of hours with some mates and I come back and the lad's completely passed out. Like he's not asleep, Haz. He's not responding." Niall's voice was growing shrill, and his accent was getting thicker.

Harry massaged his temples with his free hand, "Did you call an ambulance? Just because I was a medical major once doesn't mean I'm a fucking doctor." 

"Well, no. I thought you'd know what to do." Niall responded dumbly. Harry sighed, rolling his tired eyes as he shifted his weight over to his left foot.

"Call an ambulance, and we'll be there as soon as we can." Harry hung up the phone without a goodbye, tossing it on the couch and opening the bedroom door. The time on the digital clock read that it was three in the morning. Harry hated waking Louis up this early, knowing how much of a tit he could be if he didn't get enough sleep. 

"Lou, babe, wake up." Harry shook Louis, watching him stir in his sleep and his eyes flutter open. 

Louis had a confused look on his face, blinking while he adjusted to his surroundings, "What the hell? It's still dark out, Harry. Let me sleep." He muffled out, pulling the comforter back over his head. Harry pulled the sheets back down, exposing his half-naked body.

"Something happened with Liam, we need to go." Harry poked Louis in the side until he faced him again, a blank expression on his face.

"What happened?" Louis asked, sounding only half-concerned.

"Hell if I know. Niall's calling an ambulance, so it sounds pretty serious. Now get the fuck up." Harry practically has to drag Louis from his bed before he actually gets onto his feet. They barely even take time to change, only throwing on dirty shirts over their torsos. Harry grabs his phone and the key card as they exit the hotel room and take the elevator.

Louis' eyes are bloodshot from the lack of sleep, since they had stayed up so late that night. He was constantly yawning into his hands, and Harry could of sworn he even feel asleep on his shoulder in the elevator. He lazily dragged Louis out to the car, helping him into the passengers seat. Niall called Harry about halfway back to town to inform him that Liam was in the emergency room. Louis, on the other hand, slept the entire way there, leaving Harry to focus on the dark roads as they drove back to their hometown.

The hospital was empty, as expected. Only a few cars filled the parking lot and Harry recognized some of them from the fraternity house. Louis was more awake now, adjusting to what exactly was happening. They wandered down the endless, white hallways in search for the room number that Niall had texted him. After about ten minutes of aimless walking, they arrived at the room. 

Louis gasped when he first saw his brother laying in the hospital bed. His body was lifeless, several needles sticking into random spots in his body, hooked up to machines that let out droning beeps. He looked so dead and hopeless, and that scared Louis. As much as he disliked Liam, it was his _brother_.

Five minutes passed and Louis was still frozen in shock. Harry had finished speaking with the nurse and was trying to snap Louis from his daze. "Lou? You okay, babe?"

Louis blinked back into reality, his surroundings becoming clear around him again. He gulped, lifting his sleepy eyes to meet Harry's. The expression on his face couldn't be described as anything but distraught, making Louis whisper, "Is he going to be okay?"

Harry shuffled his feet, looking anywhere but at Louis, "Yeah, he'll be up soon." 

"Did the nurse say what happened?" Louis spat out curiously. Harry cleared his throat, opening and closing his mouth as if he didn't want to speak.

"Well, he sort of um, overdosed." Harry replied, biting his lip from stopping the words from tumbling from his lips. He watched his boyfriend's jaw go slack, his eyes falling to the floor.  "H-he's going to be okay though, as long as he stops popping pills." Harry tried to reassure him, but all it did was make Louis shudder and look away.

They were interrupted by a low groan coming from the hospital bed. Louis' head shot up as he stared at Liam while he awoke. His pupils were the size of dimes, the surrounding eye bloodshot. Circles darkened under his droopy eyes, making Liam look about twenty years older than he was. 

"Hi." He choked out, his voice deep and gravelly. Louis and Harry walked towards the side of his bed, and Liam surprisingly took Louis' hand. "I'm sorry." Tears were brimming his lower lashes, rolling down his pale cheeks. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry." Liam gripped his hand tighter, and attempted to reach for Harry's, but was stopped by the IVs in his arm. Harry made it easier for him, walking over to the other side of the bed to grasp Liam's hand.

The three of them stayed that way for a while, trying to comfort Liam through his sobs, but nothing was working. He kept apologizing over and over again without explanation. After he calmed down a bit, he elaborated, "I'm sorry I was such a fucking tit about this whole thing. Harry I'm sorry, oh, Harry...And Louis, just be my brother, be here for me, and I'll be here for you." The boys stayed silent and let him continue, "You're the only ones here right now and you're the last two I'd ever expect to stick around for me. I'm not worth it, I've been such an _asshole_." Liam shook his head, looking down at the sheets beneath him. "Hell, not even fucking _Niall_ is here and you are."

"If it makes you feel any better, Niall was the one who got you here." Harry smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

"But where the fuck is he now? If I'm correct, didn't he have to call _you_ for advice instead of calling a goddamn ambulance?" Harry gulped, not wanting to sell Niall out, "This is why you're taking over as president. Right now, I can't run this fraternity by myself, I'm a fucking mess." Liam laughed out, his voice sounding forced, but genuine at the same time.

Harry was speechless, his hand falling from Liam's, "You want me to, _what?_ " His head was spinning, and his mind was was racing with a million questions. 

Liam pursed his lips, coming back to his real self, "I want you to take over the house. Obviously things aren't working for me, and tonight showed how great you can handle things under pressure. So congratulations, this is what you wanted all along, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah," Harry replied, wiping his palms on his trousers, "But are you sure you want to give it all up now? You still have the rest of the school year and then you're gone for good."

Liam chuckled, his eyes closing with the laugh, "Never been so sure in my life. It's time for me to retire as president, I'll probably get expelled from the position anyways so it's all yours."

"I can't-thanks." Harry said, deciding it wasn't worth the fight. "Now get some sleep, Liam, you need it." Harry said, watching Louis try to let go of Liam's hand, but he just gripped it tighter.

"Louis, I want to talk to you, alone. If that's okay with you, Haz." Liam smiled, and it was the first time in a while that either of them had seen him with a sincere expression.

"Yeah, yeah. Call me when you need me." Harry said, shaking his head and exiting the hospital room. Liam watched the door, making sure it was completely shut before he began to speak.

Louis' knees were shaking, him and Liam hadn't had a serious talk since-well, ever. He was nervous, but quite curious at the same time to hear what his brother wanted so badly to say to him one-on-one.

To Louis' surprise, all Liam did was laugh. He didn't stop either, letting it go on for about two minutes until Louis was so uncomfortable that he was perspiring an ocean onto Liam's hand. 

"I can't believe you dated my best friend for months and I was so blind, I didn't suspect a thing!" Liam said, his voice ominously joyful, "You must feel so boss right now."

Louis forced a laugh and a shrug, "I really liked him Liam, I didn't know what you would do."

"That's the worst part, that he actually loves you. I didn't think he had it in him, ever since-he'd always been the hit-it-and-quit-it type of guy, so when he started dating you, I was a little startled. I knew it had to be someone amazing and when I found out it was you, it hurt. You were my brother and he's my best friend. Plus you're so young, Lou." Liam explained, his eyes closing as he spoke, "I don't even know where I'm going with this. Anyway, sorry I tried to sabotage your guy's relationship or whatever. I was just, I don't know. I'm out of it."

"It's alright, I forgive you." Louis said half-heartedly.

Liam opened his eyes, smiling sweetly at Louis, "Good, because I think you two are quite cute together." Louis' heart fluttered as his face reddened. Liam gave him a playful punch in the arm, "I hate to admit it but it's true, you two are perfect for each other."

"I think so too." Louis grinned.

"I'll be out of here soon. Don't visit, please, it's embarrassing." Liam joked, smacking Louis on the arm with his free arm until he giggled. "Now get the fuck out."

"Rude, much?" Louis teased back, letting go of Liam's hand and strolling towards the door. He had his hand on the door knob before he turned and said, "Love you, Liam. Feel better." 

"Love you too, bro. See ya." Liam waved, closing his eyes and resting his head on the headboard. Louis awkwardly exited the room, meeting up with Harry.

Harry's eyes widened at Louis when he came out in tears. Harry wrapped his arms around him, letting Louis cry on his chest. He consoled him by rubbing his hands along the length of his back and through his fluffy fringe. "'ts okay, Lou. It's gonna be okay." Harry cooed, letting Louis calm down. Once he was back to normal, Harry decided to ask, "What did he say?"

"He was just apologizing for everything, and he thinks we're pretty cute." Louis said, his stomach filling with knots again.

"Well, he's right about that one." Harry said charmingly, pulling Louis into him as they began to walk out down the hallways to the exit. They drove back to their hotel for the rest of the night, immediately hitting the bed as soon as they walked through the door. For once, Louis and Harry could go to sleep with no troubles on their minds.


	21. twenty one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is very sporadic and kind of choppy, but that's what I was going for. It's about finding yourself, and I think this kind of captures it pretty well.

 

"If you could deliver those as soon as possible that would be greatly appreciated." Harry said in his most professional voice he could pull off. He may have just been talking to a florist, but it didn't matter to him. He was the president of a fraternity now, everything had to be correct. Never thinking he'd admit it, Harry could see from Liam's perspective now, this job was a _ton_  of work.

But it was all worth it to Harry, knowing that he could provide the best living quarters for his peers whom resided in the house. It had been almost a week since Liam was in the hospital and Harry was handed down the title from president this morning. For his first act as a presidential figure, he decided to send his precedent a vase of flowers. Well, it was mostly for the courtesy of Liam choosing him to take over, but then again it was for the understanding of him and Louis' relationship now. 

Speaking of, they'd been doing great lately. After Liam had _finally_ given his approval, the two boys were happier than ever because they were finally free. Free of sneaking around, free of getting caught, and lastly, free to be able to show their love without having to be afraid. It was all they wanted all along and they'd gotten it now, but it still felt like something important was missing.

Harry couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but it was lingering in his thoughts. Sometimes he just got these off feelings, which ended up being accurate. Maybe it was the fact that Liam was now a victim in all of this, since he had overdosed on drugs and was in the hospital, but maybe it wasn't. Harry didn't know, so he decided to push it into the back of his mind.

He ended the call with the florist, sweetly wishing her a nice day. Harry was all alone now, sitting on his bed in the familiar bedroom. The house was completely empty now, since the rest of the boys had gone off to class and he was allowed the day off. It was a school day for Louis, so he couldn't hang out with him until later on. 

Maybe this is exactly what Harry needed, a calm day to himself to think things over.

Grabbing his boots and pulling on his trench coat, Harry threw his phone on his bed and left the room. He exited the tall, brick building that was now his before venturing down the walkway.

Harry had no idea where he was going, but he just kept walking.

It was freezing outside and the coat wasn't supplying enough heat for Harry's frail body. He started to shiver, taking an escape into the coffee shop he was approaching.

The coffee shop smelled like it always did, like coffee beans and caramel. Harry smiled at the memory of his and Louis' first date here, glancing over to the table where they sat for the first time.

He even ordered the drink Louis did, sitting in his seat and staring out at the snow that was falling onto the already white ground outside. The caramel drink burned down his throat, but he didn't seem to mind it.

Once he was finished, he discarded it in the nearest trashcan and took a quick turn for the left, leaving the coffee shop.

The bookstore was next door to the coffee shop, and Harry had no idea why, but he found himself pushing through the heavy doors and entering inside. Harry breathed in the new book smell of the store, gazing among the shelves of books that lined up to the back of the store.

"Hi, do you need help looking for something?" A girl about Harry's age asked, pulling him out of his zone.

Harry squirmed, gathering his thoughts, "Um, I'm just, looking." He replied.

"Oh, hi Harry. Congratulations on becoming president of the house! It's a shame what happened to Liam, isn't it?" She kept talking, but to Harry it sounded like she was speaking a language he didn't know.

"Yeah, thanks, yeah, yeah." Harry trailed off, leaving the girl to continue stocking the shelf. He had no clue what he was looking for and spent about ten minutes scanning different book titles. The shop was pretty empty, only the sounds of books being put on shelves and some type of jazz playing in the background. 

Harry hummed along to the jazz music, bopping his head of untamed curls along with the smooth melodies. A book title popped into his head, and he searched the bookstore for the particular one he had in mind. It took him quite a while to find it, getting caught up in the intriguing titles as he passed them. Harry ran his finger along the different names of the authors until he found the one he was searching for.

Smiling at the book, Harry picked up two copies and made his way to the front desk.

"Find what you were looking for?" The girl asked once again, brushing her hand along Harry's as she took the books into her own.

"Yeah, thanks." He said shortly, pulling his wallet from his back pocket.

The girl was obviously trying to flirt with Harry, but it wasn't working well. "So, you buying one of these for a girlfriend?"

"I'm gay." Harry said bluntly, passing the money across the counter and giving her a cheeky smile.

Her cheeks reddened as she hurried on and rang up his books, then shoving them in a plastic bag with force, "Have a nice day." She said quickly, Harry only hearing her halfway out the door.

He laughed to himself as he strode back out into the cold. Harry took one of the books out, running his finger along the cover of the book. It read, _The Great Gatsby_. Harry smiled to himself, flipping to the first page and mouthing the words on the page to himself. 

Before he knew it, he was thirty pages into the book and back at the fraternity house. Some of the cars were back in the parking lot, and the lights were turned on. He shoved the book back into it's bag, feeling around his back pocket for his phone. Then he remembered that he'd left it on his bed when he was leaving the house.

To Harry, the house looked somewhat different. In a sense, it seemed lighter and much more full of life. Laughter was heard from the family room, along with the smell of cinnamon wafting from the kitchen. Harry smiled, following his nose to the kitchen. 

He found Niall in there with some of the underclassmen, laughing and throwing dough at each other. Harry leaned against the archway with a smile on his face, watching them until someone noticed.

"Haz sorry mate, we were going to cook for you and we got carried away. We'll clea-"

"You should be sorry," Harry started, watching fear grow in the boys eyes. He reached his hand inside the bowl and tossed dough at Niall, "for not telling me you were having a food fight without me!"

Niall forced a laugh, relieved. He wiped the sticky dough off his shirt and onto the floor, patting Harry on the shoulder. His eyes lowered and he spotted the bag that was still tied around Harry's wrist. "What's in the bag?"

"Books." Harry stated plainly, moving his arm behind his back.

"Didn't know you read, interesting." Niall tapped his chin, letting out a chuckle.

"Louis has been having an effect on me." Harry smiled that same stupid lovesick smile he had when Louis was mentioned. Niall and the others nodded with agreement, turning back to their food. Harry took this as his queue to leave, jogging up the stairs and into his bedroom. 

Harry flopped down on the bed, picking up his phone to text Louis. ' _picked you up something today, hope you like it xxx_ '

His phone beeped almost immediately, barely giving him time to get the books out of his bag, ' _can't wait to see what it is, let's go out later, yeah? xx_ '

Harry smirked as he typed back his response and tucked his phone under his pillow. His stomach filled up with warmth as he started the book again, picking up where he left off. He read for about an hour, getting intertwined and lost in the fictional novel. Harry was interrupted by the sound of a camera and that loud, obnoxious laugh that he could recognize from a mile away.

"I had to document this, this is a moment that will go down in the history books!" Niall chuckled out, closing the door behind him and making his way over to his own bed. Harry was unphased by it all, his eyes still glued to the page. "Wow, this presidency shit has really changed you. Glad Liam didn't pick me."

"There's a time where you have to grow up and put your fun in the past, Niall." Harry spoke sternly, closing the book and putting it back in the bag, "Now, I have to go see my boyfriend. Tuck the pledge's in for me." He said with a wink, pushing his phone into his pocket and leaving the room. Niall didn't say anything back, but Harry didn't expect him too. Harry didn't expect anything from anyone anymore.

This time Harry opted for a car instead of walking, driving the familiar back roads to Louis' house. He parked on the curb behind Louis' car, running up to his porch and ringing the doorbell several times. Louis appeared at the door seconds later, looking as pretty as ever. Harry felt like he couldn't breathe, like he always did when he was around Louis. 

"I love you." Harry said proudly and he was filled with so much fond that he could feel his toes moving inside his boots. 

Louis smiled, stepping back so Harry could come inside, "I love you too. Did you drive all the way here to tell me that?" He sounded astonished, not taking his eyes off Harry as he kicked off his boots.

"No. Well, yes. But no. I came here to give you-" Harry opened the bag he was holding and pulled a book out of it, "this." 

Louis took the book into his dainty hands, reading the cover, "You bought me _The Great Gatsby_? That's so...random, but so sweet at the same time. I love it. I love you." Louis smiled, jumping into Harry's arms. He was able to get his head onto Harry's shoulder now, even though he was standing on his tip-toes. 

"I bought one for myself too, so we can read it together. I know how much you love books and knowledge, and, shit. I don't know. I was just wandering around today and I got you a book." Harry sputtered out, his voice getting all weird and awkward like it had been earlier.

"It's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me." Louis said, then rethinking his option, "On top of everything else _you've_ done, of course."

Harry could of turned that last phrase into a sexual innuendo, but then he remembered that he was over all the childishness now. 

This was it, this is what he felt like he'd been missing all along. Today was when he finally was able to get over everything and let go of it all, even though he'd just gotten a cup of coffee and bought his boyfriend a book. For some reason, he felt more mature and that he was in the right place for the first time in a really long time. Harry felt like everything was going to be okay, with Louis, with Liam, with the fraternity house, with _everything_.

All the ends of the strings had been tied, the presidency was his, and he felt like he'd found the love of his life. 

For Louis, on the other hand, things were good with him too. The sibling rivalry between himself and his older brother was over after being a battle for seventeen years. He also learned that friends don't leave you because they don't like your choices, and they surely don't try to bring you down when you're at your highest.

The best thing he learned is that he could fall in love with someone, no matter how old they were.

Most importantly, they both learned that everything can be based down to the fact of being just a number. The amount of friends they gained or lost, the amount of time it took for them to fall in love, the amount of-hell, _anything_.

In the end, all the numbers added up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was it. Holy freaking shit I've been writing this fanfic for months now! Uh, I want to thank @dreamfulou on twitter for giving me the idea for this fic and making it one of the best things I've ever written (I'm being conceited sorry). Also, I want to thank @pastalarry on twitter for her continuous support and her insane tweets about the fic. Lastly, I wouldn't of kept writing this if it wasn't for all the nice comments I got on it. I appreciate every single one of them and I love you all.


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